A Treasonous Heart
by Jennifoofighter
Summary: When Martin is accused of treason, Danny does everything he can to prove his friend innocent, even when all evidence is to the contrary. DPOV, DE, MOC, Casefile
1. Teaser

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**A/N: I know maybe some readers of my previous work may be freaked out that this fic is Martin/OC but I need to work out some issues, namely all that was season 6, and this is my coping mechanism. So while this is very different than what I've done in the past, it was something I needed to do. Plus, I wanted to explore writing a fic from a different POV and Danny has always intrigued me... so, yeah. Anyhoo, I hope some of you loyal Martin fans will take a chance and read this fic and the MS fans recognize how I wish Season 6 had played out. **

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TITLE: A Treasonous Heart  
AUTHOR: Jennifoofighter  
RATING: R  
KEYWORDS: Danny POV, Martin angst, D/E, M/OC  
SPOILERS/TIMELINE: Set post season 6 but with my own twist on certain storylines. So while I am writing a fic with Martin/OC I will never endorse JS of any kind.  
ARCHIVE: It will be posting exclusively at fanfiction-net  
SPECIAL THANKS: To everyone who reads my fics and more so to the ones who take time to review. They mean more than you know.  
EXTRA-SPECIAL THANKS: To Anmodo for agreeing to beta this fic as well as being my official expert on all things related to Danny Taylor. You totally rock!  
DISCLAIMER: Hank and Co. own everything_**Without a Trace**_**. No copyright infringement is intended. I am just obligated to write all that the TPTB overlook.  
SUMMARY: _When Martin is accused of treason, Danny does everything he can to prove his friend innocent even when all evidence is to the contrary._**

XoXoXoXoX

"The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other." – Mario Puzo, _The Family_

XoXoXoXoX

January 22, 2009  
FBI Building, NYC

Danny's leg bounced up and down as he stared at the closed door waiting to testify. Wiping a clammy hand on his pant leg, he wondered why his heart still raced and his palms got sweaty at the mere thought of having to go before a review committee. He felt like he was on trial and he wasn't even the one accused. He was a special agent for God's sake, yet he still felt a sense of guilt. He supposed it could be because it was in his nature: raised Catholic and having a strong sense of that sinner mentality. Most likely though, it had something to do with his youth. Inside, he still felt like that boy on trial for pilfering a bottle of rum from the convenience store. He still had that same mix of fear and defiance simmering under his cool exterior because in spite all his accomplishments, he still felt like he related more to the con than the cop.

Lowering his head, he released a heavy, audible sigh. He hated sitting here outside a conference room waiting to be interviewed. He felt that he had been spending entirely too much time defending members of his own team to the bureau higher ups over the last year. First there was Jack and his actions during Viv's human trafficking case and now Martin.

Danny found it hard to believe that out of every agent he knew that Martin Fitzgerald would be the one accused of being a traitor. Martin was Mr. All American, practically bleeding red, white and blue. But the evidence piled against him was irrefutable and absolute, so it was necessary for Office of Professional Relations to interview everyone involved in the case. He just hated that he had to go before OPR to discuss the investigation into Martin's illegal activities and the charges against him.

He wished he didn't have to do this; that his report on Martin's actions would be enough but the higher ups don't let accusations of treason slide by lightly.

Clasping his hands, Danny rested his elbows on his thighs and closed his eyes as he mentally rehearsed what he was going to say. Trying to ease out the tension from his neck and shoulders, he tilted his head side-to-side and clenched and unclenched his hands a few times. He didn't know why he was so wound up. He knew it was going to be fine. He just had to tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may, but the problem was that the truth was a complicated matter.

He inhaled and exhaled a few more times when he heard her. He smiled to himself, he always heard her before he saw her.

Opening his eyes, he looked over towards the sound of high heels clacking on the marble floor just as Elena rounded the corner. He glanced down at her shoes; the one sacrifice she was never willing to give up being a special agent was her sense of fashion. She saw no reason that a female special agent couldn't still dress like a woman. She may have had to wear blazers and jackets but she wasn't about to dress like a man and he, for one, was appreciative of that fact.

She flashed him her bright smile and he immediately felt the breath he didn't realize he had been holding all morning whoosh out of him as she approached. Just the sight of her made him calm.

Smiling at her as she approached, he gestured to one of the two coffees she was holding. "If there's a black coffee with two sugars… it could be love."

She winked as she handed him a cup and replied, "Café con amor para ti." He gave her a grateful smile as she sat down on the empty chair beside him. She sipped her cup and glanced at the door. "Jack still in there?"

"Yup," he replied as he popped the lid off his cup, the aroma of fresh roasted coffee filling his nostrils. He took a drink, the coffee still hot enough to slightly singe his tongue.

"Any idea how much longer?" she asked, concern evident in her tone.

Lowering his cup, Danny shook his head. "Nope." He cast a furtive glance at the door and frowned. "He's been in there close to an hour."

Just as the words left his mouth, the doors to the conference room swung open and

Jack appeared. He looked like how he always looked: unreadable. He met Danny's eyes in acknowledgement before Olcyzk stepped out of the conference room behind him. Danny watched as the two men spoke in hushed whispers, the expressions on their faces serious and resolved. Jack nodded and Olcyzk turned around to face him.

"Agent Taylor, you're up," he ordered.

Nodding, Danny stood up. He quickly glanced at Elena who softly whispered, "Good luck," before he walked up to where Jack and Olcyzk stood. Jack didn't say anything but merely pursed his lips and gave him a small nod of encouragement. He gave a small nod in return before stepping into the conference room ahead of Olcyzk.

Inside was a long table covered with files alongside a few pitchers of ice water and on a tray sat clean drinking glasses. Seated on the opposite side were a few agents representing OPR, Assistant Director Paula Van Doren, the Director of the FBI David Johnson, and an empty chair that, walking around the table, Olczyk occupied a few seconds later.

"Agent Taylor, have a seat," Director Johnson indicated without giving Danny as much as a glance.

Pulling out the chair in front of him, Danny sat down. The seat was still warm from when Jack had sat there and he quickly wondered if this is where the term "on the hot seat" originated. His throat went dry and he noticed that there was a half-empty glass of water in front of him that was mostly likely left by Jack as well.

"Agent Taylor," an agent Danny didn't recognize began, "Do you understand why we called you in here today?"

"Yes."

"Great, then let's get started shall we?" the agent replied as he reached over and clicked on the microphone in the center of the table. He leaned forward and began speaking into it. "We are about to hear the testimony of Special Agent Daniel Taylor. Present are SSA Frank Chapman, AD Alexander Olyzck, AD Paula Van Doren, Director David Johnson, and myself, Special Agent Andy Cole." Leaning back, the agent opened up a leather binder, shuffled some sheets of paper around in it and clicked his pen. Finally meeting Danny's eyes, he said, "Agent Taylor, let's begin with what you can tell us about the charges of treason against your teammate, Martin Fitzgerald?"

"It's wrong…" Danny uttered when the Director abruptly cleared his throat to interrupt him.

He looked over at Director Johnson who shot Special Agent Cole a warning look before facing Danny. "We just need you to go over how the investigation of a missing person led to the charges of treason against Martin Fitzgerald and his connection to Risto Mijatovic."

Shifting in his seat, Danny straightened his posture. "It's all there in my report, Sir. I don't know what I can add to it."

"Why don't you take us through it," Van Doren interjected; her voice soft and even. "Start at the beginning."

"The beginning," Danny repeated, with a sigh as he took a breath. He worked his jaw a few times and ran his tongue over his teeth as he carefully considered his words. He had been replaying the event of the last year over in his head, wondering how he missed all the signs; the clues that Martin wasn't the man he appeared to be. "Well, I guess it all really began almost a year ago. We were investigating the disappearance of Dian Grebo, a bouncer from _Dobro Srce_ – a nightclub in Brooklyn." He lowered his eyes, focusing on the water in the pitcher as the memory of the last year washed over him. "He was reported missing by his girlfriend, Nina Komsic, who was a waitress at the club where he worked..."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

XoXoXoXoX

March 26, 2008  
Queens, NYC

"What do you mean you don't want me to give you lessons anymore?" Danny asked as he clicked on his blinker and slowed the car to make a left turn. "Why not?"

From where he sat on the passenger seat, Martin shook his head and laughed softly. "Because I'm starting to think you're screwing with me."

"Why… Why would you think that?" he replied, doing his best to restrain a grin.

Eyeing Danny skeptically, Martin responded, "The other night I was at Casa Sueño's for dinner and when I tried chatting up the cute waitress she burst out laughing."

"And that's my fault?" Danny countered as he slowed the car down the street. "Keep an eye out for the bar."

Martin angled his head so he could read the signs and addresses as he talked. "I repeated exactly what you taught me when introducing myself to a woman I'm interested in, 'Me llamo Martin. Hacele pone ungüento en mi erupción."

Danny bit the inside of his cheek to prevent a laugh from escaping his lips. One night Martin asked for some lines in Spanish to use when picking up women and he was feeling particularly devilish so he taught Martin to say, 'My name is Martin. Will you put ointment on my rash?" It was hilarious at the time but knowing that Martin actually used it on someone made him feel a little guilty.

But only a little.

"Well, that's the problem, you said it wrong," he argued as he adjusted his hands on the steering wheel. "Next time I'll teach you some lines that will guarantee you some action."

Martin gave him another skeptical glance and replied, "All right but this time I am going to run them by Elena first."

"I'm your friend, don't you trust me?" Danny accused.

"No," Martin replied with a smile when he pointed to a red brick building on the right. "I think that's it."

Danny looked over and saw the neon sign flashing "Dobro Srce" above the dark green awning covering the door. "Yeah, that's the place."

Pulling the car into the parking space, he turned off the engine. As he reached for the door handle and opened the door, he spotted Jack headed their way. Exiting the car, he joined Martin by the trunk as they waited.

"I don't suppose this is a strip club and we have to interview women in G-strings," Danny quipped as Jack neared. While Danny was in a committed relationship, it was hard for him to let go of his playboy persona.

"Sorry, you'll just have to stick dollar bills in your own underwear," Jack deadpanned. Beside him, Danny heard Martin chuckle softly. Jack motioned to the bar and said, "Our MP is Dian Grebo." He held up his iPhone and showed them a picture of a surly looking man with dark hair and eyes. "He was reported missing by his girlfriend, Nina Komsic. Elena and Viv are at her apartment talking to her right now." He dropped his phone back into his pocket and the three of them started walking towards the bar. "She last saw him two nights ago. They both work here: she's a waitress and he's the bouncer. She said she went home early and he stayed behind to help close up."

"Any chance he's just pulled a runner?" Martin asked as they neared the door. "Breaking it off by quitting work and just laying low."

Jack paused, giving Martin a mirthful and evaluating look. "Where's your sense of romance?"

"I must have left it in my other suit," he flatly replied, the corners of his mouth slowly tugging into a grin.

Smiling, Jack just shook his head as he entered the establishment.

It took Danny's eyes a minute to adjust to the dim lighting inside the bar. There weren't many patrons so early in the day but the ones who were there Danny knew well even though he had never met them. They were the men and women who woke up in the morning already needing a drink. For the briefest moment he could almost taste a drink on the tip of his tongue; rum, vodka, scotch, beer, were forever marked on his taste buds. Some day's were harder than others to move past the craving but now, looking at the customers with their gazed expressions, looking defeated and resigned to their lives, he thought to himself, "there but for the grace of God."

Approaching the bar, Jack waved the lanky bartender over. He had a shaved head and his entire neck was covered in a tattoo of a spider web. Jack badged him and said, "I'm Special Agent Malone," he gestured to Martin and Danny and said, "These are special agents Fitzgerald and Taylor. We're here to talk to you about Dian Grebo."

"He's not here," the bartender replied as he wiped down the counter.

"I know, that's why we're here," Jack coolly replied, reaching over to stop the bartender's hand. "He's missing. When was the last time you saw Dian?"

The bartender pulled his hand out from under Jack's and said, "I don't know, a few nights ago."

Jack sighed, annoyance evident in his tone, and looked over at Martin and Danny. "This is going to take some time. Go talk to the rest of the staff while," he looked at the bartender and finished, "I help our friend focus."

They nodded and Danny started to indicate that he would talk to one of the waitresses when the door from the back swung open and a woman exited. He knew instantly she was someone of importance since all eyes turned to look at her. She was stunning. She was tall, with straight brown hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and a perfectly sculpted body. He knew she had a great body because her tight black halter dress left very little to imagination. It was short to show off her long legs and the v-cut dipped into her ample cleavage.

Her eyes steadily scanned the bar while both the patrons and staff lowered their eyes and returned to what they were doing. Casually, she sauntered behind the bar and stood next to the bartender.

She had a thick Bosnian accent as she said, "Hello, I am Sanya Kovac. I run this bar." Danny noticed that she met Martin's eyes and the two of them shared a look when a small seductive smile crossed her lips. Ignoring Jack, she leaned in to where Martin stood and asked, "What can I do for you?"

"We'd like to ask you some questions about your bouncer, Dian Grebo," Jack interjected, trying to refocus Sanya's attention onto him.

Quickly glancing at Jack, she replied, "He has not been to work in a few days." She returned her attention to Martin and with soft bedroom eyes she offered, "Perhaps, you would like a drink? I make a delicious grey goose martini."

Martin swallowed, looking slightly discombobulated before his expression hardened. He cleared his throat and replied, "No thank you." He pulled a notebook from his jacket pocket. "But I would like to ask you a few questions about Dian Grebo."

Tilting her head, she smiled. "Very well," she leaned back and picked up a glass, "you don't mind if I drink, do you?" She turned around and grabbed a bottle of vodka, filling her glass halfway. "Like I said, he hasn't been to work."

"Why's that?" Martin asked.

"I do not know, maybe he went to Atlantic City to try his luck," she replied, swallowing the vodka and emptying the glass. "He was always a bit of a dreamer." She laughed. "He told me one day he would win enough money to trade his old Honda for a fancy sports car. He even bought a keychain with gold dice."

Watching Sanya carefully, Jack asked, "When was the last time you saw Dian?"

She refilled the glass and answered, "The night before last. He left the bar around three in the morning with the rest of the staff."

"Did you leave as well?" Jack asked as Martin lowered his gaze, his attention focused on his notes as he jotted the information.

She took another shot and shook her head. "No, I stayed to count the money and make the deposit."

"Can anyone verify that?" Jack asked.

Feeling that the there was no need for him to stand by and listen since Jack and Martin had it under control, Danny wandered over to talk to the waitress. As he walked away, he heard Sanya reply, "I prefer to work alone."

Stepping up to the waitress, he introduced himself. "Hello, I'm Special Agent Danny Taylor. What's your name?"

"Um, Michelle," she replied. She was petite with short brown hair and wide eyes. She smiled nervously at him and her eyes flashed over at where Sanya stood.

Danny followed her gaze in time to notice Sanya give her a cool smile before returning her attention to Jack and Martin. He stepped in her line of sight with Sanya and said, "I'd like to ask you some questions about Dian Grebo."

Nervously tucking her hair behind her ears, Michelle replied, "Okay."

"How well do you know Dian?" he asked, doing his best to meet her eyes.

She licked her lips and replied, "Um, not very well. He's the bouncer so he hangs out at the door and I'm busy in here so we don't really ever talk."

"What about his girlfriend? Are you friends with her?"

"Yeah, I guess," Michelle shrugged.

"Do you know if they were having any problems?"

"She never mentioned anything," she replied, fidgeting nervously with her bracelet as she talked. "In fact, she told me that she thought he was going to propose but…" she stopped suddenly, as if aware that she shared too much.

"But what?" he pressed, not willing to overlook what she said. She lowered her gaze and looked away. He leaned in closer to her, forcing her to look up at him. "If you know something Michelle, you need to tell me."

She swallowed and looked past him to where Sanya stood. Biting her lip, she whispered, "I can't."

He stepped in her line of sight again and carefully assured, "I promise you, she won't know you said anything."

Michelle furrowed her brow and shook her head. "I can't. I'm sorry." She turned and hurried to the door to the kitchen and disappeared.

He stood there, debating on whether or not to go after her but decided against it. If Michelle knew more than she was willing to tell, he knew there was no way he could get her to reveal what it was as long as Sanya was in the room.

It seemed Jack was in agreement because after an hour of conducting fruitless interviews, he said that they needed to head back to the office and regroup. They tried to get as much information as they could from the staff and patrons at the bar but it was as if an unspoken code of silence was enacted the moment Sanya entered the bar. All of the answers they got were short and brief, offering very little detail beyond what they already knew about Dian.

As they left, he glanced at Sanya over his shoulder in time to see her wink at Martin.

"Watch yourself, brother," he whispered as they exited. Seeing that he'd gotten Martin's attention, he finished, "She's a man-eater and she's looking at you like you're prime rib."

Danny waited for Martin to reply with some lame one-liner, but he just nodded thoughtfully and silently walked to the car.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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You know, when I joined the bureau everyone warned me that I was at risk for bodily injury but I never thought they meant carpal tunnel," Danny joked as he twisted his wrist trying to work out the aches and pains from writing up his notes from the day. "Seriously, it's really uncomfortable."

"Don't even bother whining to me," Sam replied, looking up at him from her laptop with a perturbed expression. "You don't know what uncomfortable is until you have a have an actual person pressing up against your spine twenty-four hours a day."

He grinned at her. "How is the little Brewer today?"

She smiled and carefully stood up. "Tap dancing on my bladder – again."

He watched as she waddled down the hall to the ladies room for what had become a regular routine. As she disappeared around the corner, he shifted his eyes back to his monitor. He still found it hard to believe that Samantha Spade – Samantha Spade – was going to be someone's mother. He could still remember how surprised he was when he found out.

XoX

"_Hey, fancy running into you here," Danny greeted her as he opened the door to Elena's apartment to find Sam sitting with Elena in the living room. Sofie dashed in ahead of him and made a straight beeline for Samantha._

"_Hi, Samantha," Sofie greeted her, running over to give her a hug. "Are you eating dinner with us?" _

"_We have plenty," he announced as he set the pizza box down on the kitchen table. "Sofie insisted we get a large pie." _

"_Nu-uh," Sofie argued with an adamant shake of her head. "You were the one who said he was so hungry he could eat a horse."_

"_Calm down, I admit it was me," he laughingly replied at Sofie's mock indignation. With a smile still on his face, he looked over in time to see Elena and Sam share a look. _

_Sofie was still looking at Sam expectantly when she gave the little girl a queasy smile and replied, "Um…I don't know…"_

"_Nonsense, you're eating with us," Elena interjected. She stood up and directed Sofie down the hall. "Go wash your hands, mamita."_

_Sofie darted down the hall towards the bathroom as Danny grabbed some plates from the kitchen cabinet and began setting the table. _

_Samantha stood up and walking over, said, "At least let me help."_

_Nodding, Danny gestured to a nearby cabinet and began, "You can get the glasses from…" _

"_No," Elena interrupted, running her hand along Danny's back. "She's a guest." Pointing to one of the chairs, she smiled at Sam and said, "Sit down. Relax."_

_Holding a plate in each hand, he asked, "Okay, what's going on?" Both Elena and Sam went shock still and stared back at him. "You guys are being weird."_

"_Nothing's going on," Elena replied, quickly glancing at Sam. "I just thought Samantha's had a hard day…"_

"_Thanks, it's all right," Sam interrupted, giving Elena a grateful smile. "I might as well start telling everyone." He watched as she took a deep breath and shakily blurted, "I'm pregnant."_

_This time it was Danny's turn to stand shock still. He felt his jaw open and close a few times, his eyes darting between Sam and Elena's for confirmation before he finally uttered, "Uh, you're… What?"_

_She gave him a small, shy smile and repeated, "I'm pregnant."_

"_Wow," he replied, his lips curving up into a smile. He set the plates down on the table as he stepped around to where she stood, pulling her into a hug. "Congratulations!" _

_At first, Sam stiffened up in his arms before finally relaxing into his embrace. He knew she wasn't touchy feely but he couldn't resist. With his arms tight around her, she mumbled, "Thanks."_

_Stepping back and with a smile still planted on his face, he asked, "Is it Martin's?" _

"_Danny, por favor," Elena quickly scolded. _

_He looked at Elena, surprised by her tone. "What? Sam and I have been friends for a long time and it's a logical question."_

_He saw Elena gearing up to respond when Sam softly replied, "It's not Martin's."_

"_Oh," he breathed. Sam sat down and picked up one of the napkins, wringing it between her fingers. He rested the palm of his hands on the table top, leaned forward and asked, "Who's the father, then? You never mentioned dating…"_

"_Danny," Elena pointedly interrupted, giving him another warning look. "Ignore him, Samantha."_

"_No, it's understandable," Sam's expression fell and, shaking her head, she softly replied, "It's no one you know." Licking her lips, she flattened out her napkin. Finally looking up and meeting his eyes, she answered, "I'd rather not say who it is right now. I haven't even really had a chance to process it myself, much less thought about having to tell him. Or if I will."_

"_Well, we'll support you no matter what," Elena interjected as she returned to setting the table. "Isn't that right, Danny?"_

"_Yeah, of course," he agreed, following Elena's lead and returning his attention to setting the table. He smiled his biggest smile at Samantha and said again, "Seriously, Sam, this is exciting news. Congratulations." _

_Sam smiled back at him but there was no mistaking the sad, lost look in her eyes. He looked over at Elena, her eyes meeting his as they both shared a silent, tacit agreement that they would do everything they could to help Samantha during this time. _

XoX

He didn't know why he had just assumed that Martin might have been the father but considering their history he guessed he still held out hope for them.

He glanced over at Martin's empty desk. When they got back to the office, Martin remembered he had a dental appointment and had to leave for a few hours. Danny joked that Martin was lying, just trying to get out of the tedious part of the investigation – paperwork. But it was such a lame excuse, Danny knew that Martin had to be telling him the truth.

"All right," Viv announced as she hung up her phone. Pulled from his thoughts, Danny looked over at her as she said, "I talked to a few of the other employees from Dobro Scre and they all gave the same answers." She walked over and sat down next to Danny. "The exact same answers in fact. Dian left around three a.m., Sanya stayed behind in the bar and they have no reason to suspect anything." Sharing a look with Danny, she frowned and continued, "It's pretty obvious that they're all hiding something."

"Or they're all afraid of Sanya," Danny commented.

"Do you really think that's a possibility?"

Nodding, he leaned in and conspiratorially shared, "I'm telling you, Viv. The temperature practically dropped twenty degrees the moment she walked into the room. And the waitress, Michelle, she clammed up at just the sight of Sanya."

"It's possible they don't want to risk losing their work visa's," she guessed as she showed him some printouts of the employees IDs. "Every single employee in that bar is working in the U.S. with work visa's signed off by Risto."

"I can see why they wouldn't want to rock the boat," Danny commented as he flipped through the pages. "Fear of being deported is enough to make anyone afraid."

"Okay, I got the background on one Sanya Kovac from Immigration Services," Elena announced as she sat down across from him and Viv. "It seems she is engaged to the club's owner, Risto Mitajovic."

Wide-eyed Danny asked, "She's engaged?"

Elena gave him a perplexed look. "Why do you seem so surprised?"

Shrugging, he replied, "For a woman who is engaged, she wasn't shy about hitting on Martin in front of the entire bar."

"She hit on Martin?" Viv asked, a smile crossing her lips.

Grinning, Danny teasingly replied, "Let me put it this way, if you can really undress someone with your eyes Martin would have been buck naked."

Viv shook her head and lightly laughed. "Thanks for the visual."

"Maybe they have an arrangement," Elena guessed.

He narrowed his eyes at her and asked, "What makes you say that?"

"Risto found Sanya through a mail order bride catalog," she handed them a printout of Sanya's advertisement on a website. "He flew her to the U.S. two years ago. They live in New Jersey."

Eyeing the printout, Viv asked, "And they're still not married?"

"Nope," Elena replied, pulling another sheet of paper from the file and handed it to him. "But he did manage to get her a work visa as well as started the ball rolling to get her political asylum."

Eyebrow raised, Viv asked, "Political asylum?"

"It seems Sanya was a prisoner of war during the Bosnian conflict," Elena explained as she reached over, slid Sam's laptop close to her and began typing. "I had someone from USCIS send me a copy of her interview from when she entered the country."

"What's up?" Sam asked as she returned to the table with Jack in tow.

As they all updated Sam and Jack on Sanya's back story, Elena angled the laptop so they could all look at the monitor together. On the screen, there were several still photos of Sanya. It began with a snapshot of her face before moving to photos documenting her injuries. She had two large scars on her abdomen and side, an obvious knife scar just under her right breast and several small ones that if Danny were to guess resembled cigarette burns.

As they watched, Elena read over the report she had received, "According to USCIS, Sanya was traveling to a refugee camp with several of her university friends when their bus hit a landmine. All of her friends were killed." She reached for the laptop and pressed a file key and a video began to play.

Danny leaned over and turned up the volume when he realized it was Sanya's video interview. She still looked beautiful but there was a haunted quality about her. A far cry from the hard edged seductress she was now.

With a sallow, gaunt look around her eyes, Sanya began talking to the camera. "I was lying on the side of the road, a painful, burning, throbbing ache just under my ribs. It was the…what do you call it?" She looked at someone off screen, as if the interviewer could fill in the gaps and continued, "The handle bar from inside the bus. It was stuck in my side. It was smoky and there was a ringing noise in my ears. All around me, other passengers were wandering around, dazed and crying. I scanned the area, searching for my friends when I saw them a few yards away." She paused and added, "Or what was left of them."

It went silent on the screen and Viv said, "Her tone is so calm, detached. It's as if she's narrating events that she saw in a movie and not something that actually happened to her."

"It's probably the only way she can cope," Jack explained. "That kind of trauma can be too much to process."

"And then what?" asked the faceless interviewer.

Sanya took a deep breath and shifted her gaze to look directly at the interviewer. "I don't know how long I was there but eventually I heard men's voices." Her face went hard as she replied, cold and tight, "Serbian soldiers." She worked her jaw and continued, "And then I heard some screams followed by gunshots. They were shooting everyone who survived." For the briefest moment, a look of anguish crossed Sanya's face before it went hard again. "I tried to crawl away, to hide – I don't know why exactly – there was no place to go – when a soldier appeared and he aimed his rifle right between my eyes. His expression was blank and he stared down at me with these cold black eyes. I was certain that he was going to kill me." She bit her lip. "I began to pray to God to protect me, to not let me die, when another man appeared beside him. He looked down at me and said, 'No, look at her face. She has value.'"

She lowered her eyes, her chest rising and falling as if the memory were too painful to process. It was quiet for a long beat as the interviewer gave her a moment to compose herself.

Sanya reached down beside her and grabbed her purse, pulling a pack of cigarettes from the bag. With trembling hands, she shook one out and lit it up. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The simple act seemed to calm her because she finally looked back at the interviewer.

"Value," Sanya repeated with a visible scowl. "I didn't know what that meant but I thanked God for saving me." She took another long drag and when she blew the smoke out, she laughed bitterly, angrily and said, "It wasn't until later, until I understood what 'value' I had that it wasn't God who saved me that day. If God had been there, He would have let me die."

The screen went blank and Jack reached over to hit the 'Pause' button. Looking at Elena, he asked, "What happened?"

With a sad look, Elena read aloud from the file. "According to this report, she was taken to a detention center known as Karaman's House. It was part of an investigation into war crimes for mass rapes and murders." Shaking her head, she turned the page and continued, "Once Sanya's injuries were healed, or healed enough, she was put to work servicing Serbian soldiers. She was there for seven months before the center was evacuated."

They all sat and processed what they heard when Sam softy said, "I know this is going to sound horrible, but why would Risto pick her as his bride."

"You mean she's damaged goods?" Viv asked.

"No, yes," Sam corrected before carefully explaining, "I just mean, wouldn't she have intimacy issues?"

"I can't speak to that but I can tell you that for all she's been through she isn't shy about her sexuality," Danny replied, sharing a look with Jack. "The way she dresses and flirts, you would never guess her background."

Jack nodded thoughtfully.

Elena shook her head and said, "After years of working in Vice I can tell you that everyone reacts differently after sexual abuse. Some wear sweats and long t-shirts to try and conceal themselves from being seen as having a sexual identity while others start to believe that all they are is their sexuality. So they try and use it to their own advantage, thinking they are protecting themselves if they are the ones to use it before it's taken from them."

Viv nodded in agreement and met Danny's eyes. "I think we can guess why she is so hard now. A life like hers would make anyone hard."

"Yeah, I guess," Danny mused before returning his attention to the monitor. "But would it make her hard enough to have something to do with Dian's disappearance?"

"Only one way to find out," Jack said as he stood up and patted Danny on the back. "Looks like me and you are headed to New Jersey."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

XoXoXoX

Pulling the car into the circular driveway, Jack parked the standard issue dark blue bureau sedan alongside a black Mercedes SL-Class and a deep red Porsche 911 GT2. Danny stepped out and studied the expensive automobiles, drool practically dropping from his mouth, when Jack came to stand beside him.

Glancing comparatively between their sensible sedan and Risto's automobiles, Jack quipped, "Yeah, well, I bet ours gets better gas mileage."

Staring longingly at the beautiful, expensive sports car Danny replied, "Yeah, that makes me feel better. Good gas mileage."

Jack laughed lightly, patted him on the shoulder, and together they walked to the front door of the palatial home of Risto Mistojovic and Sanya Kovac. The house was large, with red brick, white pillars and a perfectly manicured lawn. They came to a stop in front of the large ornate wooden doors and Jack pressed the doorbell. While they waited, they both glanced around, surveying the area as if a clue would magically appear.

Moments later, the door swung open and a man wearing a dark gray suit appeared. He had light blonde hair and even lighter blue eyes. "Can I help you?"

Danny showed him his badge and asked, "Risto Mistojovic?"

"No, I am Ivo," he greeted them with a long evaluating look. "I'm Mr. Mistojovic's business associate. May I ask what this is about?"

"We'd rather talk to Mr. Mistojovic directly," Jack pointedly replied.

Ivo eyed Jack warily before stepping aside and motioning for them to enter. "Sure, he and Sanya are out by the pool." He began walking down the hall and over his shoulder he said, "Follow me."

Walking behind Ivo, Danny studied the décor of the home. It could be summed up in one word: gaudy. The furniture was white leather with white fur pillows and rugs. The walls were lined with abstract artwork in ornate gold frames. The coffee table was thick glass set atop a carved white marble lion. He couldn't decide what was sadder, the Caesar's Palace décor or the fact that Risto probably paid more for the furniture than he earned in one year.

They walked out onto the patio, the day remarkably warm for late March. Danny spotted Sanya and Risto lounging at the patio table, a feast spread out before them and a bottle of champagne chilling in a gold plated champagne stand. As they neared, Danny resisted the urge to grimace or, worse, laugh out loud at the sight of Risto. He was wearing a leopard print speedo and a black silk robe that was draped open to reveal his very hairy chest. Draped down to the center of his body fur sat a thick gold chain.

"I was wondering when the FBI would get around to talking to me," Risto said as way of greeting. He leaned back, his eyes following them as they approached. "I was starting to feel ignored."

Sanya took a drag of her cigarette, her eyes trained on them. She was still dressed in the same outfit from earlier with the added accessory of black Versace sunglasses with large oval lenses. She slowly craned her neck to look past Danny and Jack as if searching for someone. "Where's agent boy scout?"

Looking over at Sanya, Risto asked, "Agent who?"

She grinned at Risto and airily replied, "When they came to the bar there was another agent with them who reminded me of a boy scout; short haircut, innocent looking face. You should have seen how flustered he was around me."

"Maybe that's because he is intimidated by meeting a real woman," Risto teased, blowing air kisses at Sanya. She just gave him a slow, seductive smile as she took another drag of her cigarette. Risto looked back over at Jack and Danny and said, "Come sit, ask me your questions."

"Shall I call your lawyer?" Ivo asked when Risto waved him off.

"Its fine, Ivo," Risto said as he motioned for Jack and Danny to sit down. "It's just a nice chat between me and the FBI."

Danny pulled a chair out and sat across from Sanya, a cloud of cigarette smoke surrounding her. Jack took the seat on the other side of him while Ivo leaned against a nearby pillar to observe.

Risto held out a small crystal bowl and asked, "Caviar?"

"No thank you," Jack replied, his eyes steadily watching as Risto piled caviar on a small cracker and shoved the entire delicacy into his mouth. Glancing around the backyard Jack casually commented, "This is some house. I didn't realize that the bar business was so lucrative."

"The bar is just one of my many businesses," he replied, caviar and cracker-flecked spittle flying from his mouth as he spoke. He licked his lips and swallowed. "But you're not here to talk about me are you? You're here to ask me about Dian."

With a knowing smirk, Danny asked, "What can you tell us about Dian?"

"He's a good man. Sure, he is all muscle and little brains, but a hard worker nonetheless," Risto replied, taking a long swig of his champagne. "I hope you find him. I am very worried about him and his safety."

"His safety?" Jack repeated, sounding like he doubted Risto's sincerity.

"In my personal experience it's never good when someone disappears," Risto said thoughtfully. "I had many friends disappear back in Bosnia never to be seen again." He reached out and held Sanya's hand. "That is why Sanya and I are very worried for our friend. We truly hope you find him."

"I understand that many of your employees are immigrants from your home country," Jack commented.

"Of course, I believe in helping my people who come here to the land of opportunity," Risto replied with a wry smile. "I've achieved great successes here in the United States of America and I do whatever I can for my fellow Bosnians."

"Yeah, but you seem to have sponsored most of them," Jack commented, easing back on his chair. "How did you even find Dian?"

"He found me," Risto explained, refilling his champagne flute. "He came to me looking for work."

XoX

_Seated at a table in the corner of the bar, Risto smoked a cigarette and read a billing invoice. There before him, sat a stack of papers that he is carefully reviewing. He set his cigarette down in the ashtray and reached for his glass, taking a sip of his vodka when a large figure appeared beside him. He lowered his glass and looked up to see Dian Grebo standing beside the table._

_Narrowing his eyes at the man he asked, "Can I help you?"_

"_Are you," Dian began before nervously clearing his throat, "Are you Mr. Mistojovic?"_

"_Who's asking?" Risto picked up his cigarette and took another long drag, giving the muscular man a long appraising look, from head to toe. _

"_My name is Dian Grebo," he replied, nervously twisting his hands together as he spoke. "I have just arrived to this country and my neighbor, Emir, said you gave him a job."_

"_Ah, yes, Emir," Risto said as he tipped his cigarette above the ashtray, gray ash dropping into it. "He's a good man." _

"_Yes, yes, he is," Dian agreed, nodding eagerly as he watched Risto pick up his glass again to take a long drink. Waiting until Risto lowered his glass, he then asked, "He told me to come see you. That maybe you could help me. I'm a hard worker, very honest and reliable."_

"_You are?" Risto commented. He set his glass down, his fingers delicately moving around the rim as he stared back at Dian. Leaning back against the vinyl booth, he asked, "What sort of work did you do back in the mother country?"_

"_I worked in construction," Dian earnestly replied. "I specialized in tiling." _

"_I don't have any construction business," Risto replied, tilting his head side-to-side as he considered. He brought the cigarette back to his lips but before taking a drag he said, "But you are a large man who looks strong. Can you handle yourself in a fight?"_

_Dian's eyes went wide and he repeated, "Fight?"_

"_Yes, if someone were to shove you," Risto began, raising his hands in mock fists, the cigarette still squeezed tightly between his fingers. He threw some air jabs, ash falling from the cigarette as his hands moved around in the air. "Do you think you could defend yourself?"_

_Dian lowered his gaze to study his meaty paws, clenching his fists tightly. "Um, yes, I suppose." _

"_That's good," Risto said, nodding encouragingly as Dian looked at him questioningly. "I need a bouncer for this bar. A man to cover the door, someone who can handle a customer who has one too many drinks and causes problems."_

_Smiling broadly, Dian eagerly replied, "I can do that."_

XoX

"He was a good worker," Risto finished. "He worked hard, was loyal and grateful to me for the job and the help with his work visa."

"I'm sure he was," Jack replied. Danny chanced a look at Sanya, whose eyes were unreadable behind her shades, but bore the posture of someone bored by the talk around her. Jack shifted his gaze to Sanya and asked, "What brought you here, Ms. Kovac?"

She shifted in her seat to directly face him. Her lips curved up into a smile and she replied, "Love." She turned towards Risto and reached out to take his hand as she added, "Love is what brought me here."

"That's right, baby," he replied, bringing her hand to his lips.

"That's very romantic for a couple that met in an advertisement," Jack coolly commented.

Risto shot Jack a hard look and Danny immediately knew that Jack's comment struck a nerve. "How people meet doesn't matter as long as you fall in love." He gently caressed Sanya's arm as he talked. "I feel blessed to have Sanya, to have found our way to each other."

A cell phone shrilled and all eyes shifted to Ivo who pulled the device out of his pocket. "Losako." Danny listened as Ivo spoke quickly and animatedly in a language he could only guess was Bosnian when Ivo clicked off his phone and looked directly at Risto. "We must go."

Risto nodded and stood up. "If we are done here, I really do have business to attend to."

Danny looked at Jack, waiting to see what Jack was going to do when the senior agent just smiled and stood up. "Sure, we're done for now." He waited for Danny to stand up before quickly adding, "We'll be in touch. I'm sure you will want to be the first to know when we locate Dian."

Risto gave him a confident smile and said, "Yes, of course. Goodbye, FBI." He started to an entrance on the other side of the patio and waved towards the doorway where Danny and Jack had entered. "You know the way out." He gave them one final smile before turning and walking into the house with Ivo.

Sanya started to follow but paused at the doorway, looking over at Danny. "You be sure to tell Agent Boy Scout I said hello." With that, she winked and disappeared inside.

Moments later Danny and Jack exited the house and started to their car. Danny was anxious to compare notes with Jack but knew that they best wait until they were out of earshot.

Approaching the car, he looked back at the house and asked, "What's your feeling on these guys?"

"I don't know yet but there's definitely something about them," Jack thoughtfully replied as he walked around to the driver's side. "When we get back to the office we need to dig into this guy Risto's other businesses. Maybe Dian did more for him than guard the door."

Danny nodded and started to the passenger side when he spotted something shiny at the base of a nearby potted plant. Walking over, he pulled a pen from his pocket and used it to pick up a keychain. But it wasn't just any ordinary keychain, dangling from the ring were two gold dice. He looked at them carefully, a tingle of excitement flooding through him as he easily noticed at least two clear fingerprints on the die.

Smiling, he held it up for Jack to see. "Jackpot."

Jack studied the key ring before meeting his eyes and replying, "What do you want to bet that those keys belong to Dian?"

Grinning widely, Danny replied, "I'll take those odds."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

XoXoXoX

Danny and Jack entered the FBI building, quickly moving through the security checkpoint and heading straight to the elevators. They boarded the crowded elevator, brushing past a few agents to move towards the rear. The doors slid closed and began its ascent. The elevator stopped on some lower floors, thinning out the crowd, but when it stopped on the seventh floor a familiar face boarded.

Jack's eyes followed Martin as he asked, "What were you doing on seven?"

Glancing at Martin, Danny idly wondered the same thing. The seventh floor was JTTF and the MPU generally had very few dealings with them.

"Oh, I, um, I stopped by to see Jenkins," he replied, taking position on the opposite side of the elevator. Glancing at the elevator door as it shut, he scratched the back of his neck and finished, "I owed him some money on last night's game."

The elevator stopped again on the tenth floor. One agent exited and two more boarded. Once the elevator got moving again, Jack asked, "How much?"

"Huh?" Martin asked, distracted.

"How much did you lose?"

"Fifty," he quickly replied.

"Ouch," Jack quipped.

"Yeah," Martin replied, running his hand along the back of his neck. Looking over at Danny he asked, "What did I miss?"

"We went to New Jersey to talk to Risto and Sanya," Danny replied before quickly teasing, "Your new girlfriend sends her love by the way."

"Oh, yeah, I bet," Martin lamely replied.

Grinning, Danny continued, "Seriously, she made a special point to tell me to give you her regards."

Martin simply jutted his chin, doing his best to let the jokes stop there when the elevator finally came to a stop on their floor. The three men exited and Jack started off in the opposite direction, telling them he had to attend his obligatory weekly supervisory meeting.

Jack started walking away before stopping and handing the envelope that contained the keychain to Danny. "Let me know as soon as you hear anything."

"You got it," Danny replied.

As Jack walked away, Martin gestured to the envelope and asked, "What do you have?"

"We found a keychain on Risto's driveway. We think it belongs to Dian's car," Danny replied when his cell phone rang. As he pulled his cell out of his pocket, he looked at Martin and finished, "I need it dusted for prints before we bring Nina in to identify it." He glanced at the caller ID and saw Elena's phone number. He pressed talk and answered, "Que pasa?"

Her low laugh greeted him on the other end before she replied, "I need a favor. There was a flood at Sofie's school and they are closing down for the day. I'm with Viv at an off track betting parlor in Queens checking into Dian's gambling background and I can't reach my mom. Do you think you can you pick her up for me?"

"Hang on a sec," he said into the receiver. Shifting the phone away from his ear, he looked directly at Martin and asked, "I have to go pick up Sofie from school. Can you take the keychain to get processed for me?"

"Sure," Martin eagerly replied, taking the envelope from him. "I got it."

Holding out a fist, he replied, "Thanks man." Martin knocked fists with Danny, dog pound style, before heading down the hall, envelope in hand. Danny moved the phone back to his ear and said, "I'm on my way to pick up la princesa."

"I owe you," she replied.

He smiled into the phone and replied, "You can make it up to me later."

"You know I will," she purred before hanging up.

Smiling, he dropped the phone back into his pocket and walked towards the elevator. It was funny how such ordinary requests from Elena made him feel not only in love with her but loved by her in return. He liked that she trusted him so implicitly with her daughter. He knew that Carlos gave her serious cause for concern about trusting men but each time she asked for his help, his advice, and even his patience, he knew that she was not only testing him, but testing her ability to learn to let someone into her life again.

He felt very lucky to have her in his life so he was ready, willing and able to give her whatever she needed.

Pressing the call button for the elevator, he couldn't help but think he was lucky in his friendships as well. Between Jack, Vivian, Samantha, and Martin he knew he had people in his life he could count on, which was a stark contrast to his childhood when he almost always felt like he was on his own.

It was funny how much each one of them has changed over the last few years. Jack had his ups and downs but he still respected him as the team's leader, Vivian was the ear he could always count on to listen to him about some of the most intimate issues in his life, Samantha was like the sister he never had and often reminded him of the foster sisters he had when he was younger, and Martin, well, Martin was the most surprising friend of all.

When Martin joined the bureau things were chilly between them. He thought Martin was too ambitious, too eager to move ahead and show off that he took an immediate dislike to him. It didn't help that Martin came from a privileged background and seemed to be using nepotism to get promoted through the ranks. But, eventually that white boy proved himself to not only be a good agent but a good friend. Martin took his sarcastic comments and sometimes gave as good as he got but more than that, he never hesitated to lend him a hand at any time. He was the first one to offer a hand when Rafi went missing and even though he was going through his own drama with Sam, he never let it interfere with finding Danny's brother.

The two of them had been through more together than he could ever have imagined. They were forever united by a tragedy on one fateful night. In the year after the shooting, Danny felt like they were far from lucky for a very long time but now, he truly felt their friendship came out stronger in the end.

The dinging of the bell, announcing the arrival of the elevator, pulled him out of his reverie and he quickly boarded. He pressed button for the ground floor and stared pensively at the closed elevator doors. He wished that Martin could feel as lucky as he felt lately. He knew that ever since Sam announced her pregnancy that Martin had become more self-conscious about being single. Martin had confessed as much the previous Christmas.

XoX

_USB stick in hand, Danny entered the tech room to have Lucy analyze the program that their missing person, Glen Beckett, had created but she was nowhere in sight. Thinking maybe she may have wandered off to get some potato chips, he turned and headed in the direction of the break room. He entered the small room but the only person he saw was Martin sitting at a table in the corner. _

_Martin's head was propped up by his fist, his gaze fixed on the cup of coffee. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts and there was something just very sad at the sight of him. _

"_Hey man," he greeted, getting Martin's attention. _

_Looking up, Martin replied, "Hey, what's up?" _

_Ignoring his initial reason for coming to the break room, Danny slowly walked over to where Martin sat and asked, "You alright?"_

"_Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, unconvincingly. Seeing that Danny wasn't buying it, he forced a smile on his face and added, "It's nothing, just a case of the holiday blues, I guess."_

_Danny nodded and pulled out the chair next to him. He recognized the signs of self-pity and wasn't about to let his friend off the hook so easily. He had an idea what might have set off this morose mood and he decided now was as good a time as any to get down to the heart of the matter. _

"_You know, we haven't talked about Sam's pregnancy," Danny carefully began, leaning forward and resting his forearms on the table. "I mean, it's not like you have to but I know you guys…"_

"_It was over a long time ago," Martin quickly corrected, seemingly offended by Danny's implication. _

"_I know," he replied, nodding assuredly. Staring at Martin's cup of coffee, he worked his jaw and added, "But it's still big news. I was just wondering how you feel about it?"_

_Martin was quiet for so long that Danny worried that he struck a cord entirely too personal when Martin said, at last, "I'm happy for her." He gave Danny a sincere smile and added, "I really am. It's just…" he trailed off, searching for the right words. "It's great that she is having a baby, I think she will be a really amazing mom, but…" he released a heavy sigh and continued, "But I've always wanted a family and she once told me that she didn't want kids. I thought that was one of the reasons we broke up, my wanting more but her wanting to keep her independence." He shook his head and breathed, "But now here she is and I'm… I'm still in the exact same spot." _

_Needing to make light of this serious moment, Danny smiled and cheerfully replied, "What are you talking about?" He playfully slugged Martin on the shoulder. "You're still out there, I know you're dating. It's just you haven't found anyone that's' right for you yet." Grinning mischievously, he added, "You're a reasonably attractive guy, there's hope for you yet."_

_Not persuaded by Danny's overcompensating optimism, Martin softly replied, "Than why do I feel like all my chances are passing me by or I don't have any left?" He worked his tongue into his cheek and shook his head. "I was dating Sam and that went south. Then I got shot, then the painkillers…"_

"_Hey, you should be looking at it as all the things you've overcome," he argued with fierce conviction. _

"_Yeah, I guess." Martin shook his head and lifted up his cup of coffee, staring into it before looking up and meeting Danny's eyes. "It's just this isn't the life I thought I would be living at my age."_

"_There's still time," Danny optimistically replied. _

_Martin gave him a look that he couldn't decipher; it was either belief that he knew Danny spoke the truth or resignation that there was no way Danny truly understood. But as quickly as it appeared it was gone and Martin, smile planted on his face, said, "Thanks for listening but something tells me you didn't just come in here to check on my mental health."_

_Following Martin's lead in changing the subject, Danny nodded and said, "I was actually looking for Lucy. Have you seen her?"_

_Nodding, Martin replied, "Yeah, she was on her way out to get some dinner."_

"_Damn," Danny replied, deflated. He held up the USB stick. "I was hoping she could take a look at this software."_

_Taking the memory stick he asked, "What is it?" _

_Danny explained that it was a variation of the program Glen had created for Lithicorp and he had given it to Brad Harris, at gunpoint. "I wanted her to see if she could figure out why Glen was so desperate for Harris to look at it."_

"_I can take a look and see if I can figure it out," Martin replied, taking a sip of his coffee._

"_You?" Danny asked, a wide grin spreading on his face. _

_Shooting him a perturbed look, "Yeah, me. I got my MBA in business and this is just some software for a business model. I might be able to make sense of it."_

"_No offense, Fitzy, but Glen is like some super genius and," he paused, trying his best to not mock his friend who moments earlier was in a fragile state, "and well, you're not."_

_Oh, well, at least he tried._

_Martin glared at him, humor evident in his eyes, and stood up. "Bet you twenty bucks I can figure it out."_

_Danny shook his head and laughed, "Better make it five. It's going to hurt enough when you realize that you aren't the genius you think you are." _

XoX

As bittersweet as the memory was, he knew that in the last few months Martin was on the upswing again. He was smiling more and was even able to joke about Sam and her hormones. He trusted that whatever emotional funk Martin had been in, he had overcome it.

The elevator stopped on the ground floor and Danny stepped out. He couldn't dwell on his friend's lack of a social life anymore, he had to go pick up the other most important lady in his life.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N: Big thanks to Anmodo for not only all her super hard work in fixing my many, many, many errors but also for helping me keeping the story on track. Big thanks to her!


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: I want to give a big, huge shout-out to Anmodo for all her hard work on this part of the story. She should almost get co-author credit for this one. She was invaluable in her Danny Taylor knowledge and there are several sections that benefited from her talent as both an editor and writer. You are amazing! Thanks so much,** **Anmodo! **

**Now on with the story...**

XoXoXoXoX

Chapter 5

XoXoXoXoX

The next morning, Danny exited the elevator and headed to the bullpen, hot coffee in hand and a smile on his face. It was only nine a.m. and he was already having a good day. He had managed to spend an entire night with Elena, while still making a stealthy exit in the morning to avoid Sophie. As close as he and Elena had gotten, she was still a little hesitant to let Sophie get used the idea of Danny being there all night. Of course, Danny understood Elena's feelings, but that hadn't stopped him from stopping back by there on his way to work to bring them breakfast. He even walked a few blocks with them before he kissed them goodbye as they headed off in the direction of Sofie's school while he went on to the office.

As he neared the bullpen he spotted Martin sitting at the conference table surrounded by file folders as he typed on his laptop. He was so engrossed in whatever he was working on that he didn't hear Danny approach.

"Buenas dias," Danny greeted.

Martin looked up, surprised, and promptly folded his laptop shut. "Hey, you're here early."

"I have Dian's girlfriend, Nina, coming in at 9:30 so I figured I should get all the notes together." He pulled out a chair across from Martin and sat down. As he eased into his seat he noticed that Martin looked tired, no, exhausted. His tie loose around his neck, his eyes pink and a puffy, he had clearly shaved but he still looked scruffy. "What's up with you?" he asked, pausing long enough to take a sip of his coffee. "You look beat."

Rubbing his eyes, Martin nodded. "My neighbor had a party and kept me up most of the night." Resting his hand on top of the computer, he added, "I figured as long as I wasn't going to get much sleep I might as well finish my report for Jack. I didn't have a chance to work on it yesterday."

Danny nodded skeptically not quite buying Martin's excuse, but willing to let it drop. Leaning back in his chair, he asked, "Did you happen to get anything back on the keychain?"

"Yeah," Martin replied, shuffling some file folders around before selecting one. He handed it to Danny. "Sorry, man, no luck. There weren't any usable prints."

Frowning, Danny set his coffee down on the table to review the report. "Damn, I was sure we were going to get something." He flipped through the pages and asked, "Not even a partial?"

"Nope," Martin replied with a shrug. He ran his hand through his hair, spiking it up in the process. "But hey, at least you have Nina coming in this morning. Maybe she can positively ID them as Dian's."

Closing the file and dropping it on the table, he replied, "Yeah, that's true." Sighing, he picked his coffee back up and changed the topic to something more pleasant. "So, I was thinking we should shoot for the meeting at St. Francis and then we can hit Ray's afterwards. What do you think?"

Last year, the two men had found themselves falling into a routine. Once a week, they would attend a meeting together and then grab a bite afterwards. It had started out as just a matter of convenience. Martin had done his best to attend a meeting once a day or at least every other day, while he struggled through the beginning of his recovery. Since Danny usually attended AA meetings twice-a-week, he modified his routine a bit to attend an NA meeting as one of his meetings with Martin to help him through the beginning stages. But since they not only worked the same hours but also at the same place, eventually it just became a thing for them to do together.

"Oh, man, I forgot," Martin apologized, gathering his files and piling them on top of one another. "I can go to the meeting but I can't do dinner. The super in my building is supposed to come by to fix my shower."

"And you have to be there for that?" Danny asked.

Standing up and carrying the files to his desk, Martin replied, "Not really but if I'm not there than he does a half-ass job." He set the files down and looked back at Danny. "Or worse, he tries to install one of those low pressure shower heads."

"All right," Danny replied, standing up and walking back to his own desk. "Well, I guess the meeting is the important part."

"One day at a time," Martin quipped as he grabbed his coffee mug. He held it up, narrowed his eyes and announced, "But I'll never give up my other drug of choice."

Laughing, Danny held up his own cup and replied, "Hear that."

His eyes followed Martin as he walked towards the break room. He smiled to himself, seeing how far the two men had come, or rather, how much they had both overcome since he discovered that Martin had developed a dependency on painkillers.

XoX

_Danny was angry with Martin for letting it all get so out of hand. _

_He thought Martin was too smart to not know what sort of danger he was putting himself, the team, and most importantly, their victims, in by doing drugs while on the job. He was angry that in his drug induced haze Martin had risked the life of Ethan Heller, a young boy who had been kidnapped. In his heart he knew that Martin only wanted to help the child but his rationality was muddled by the painkillers; numbing his mind to the dangers of acting without considering all possibilities. And it was that fact that had infuriated Danny. _

_Afterwards, Danny was so furious with Martin that even though he understood he needed to communicate his concerns to his friend about the perils of addiction it only escalated into an argument. Martin was too steeped in denial to face the truth and Danny too angry to remain cool and objective. _

_Danny was angry with himself. _

_He was angry that he ignored the hard truths that he could only now admit he had suspected for quite awhile. He knew that Martin wasn't himself. He didn't laugh as easily as he used to, his temper was shorter and the most noticeable change was Martin not eating. He remembered jokingly encouraging his friend to eat a sandwich but Martin waving him off. To many it might have seemed small and insignificant but food was the one thing Martin, the Martin he had known for all those years, never, ever turned down. But at the time Danny had told himself it was likely the result of Martin's injuries. He recalled Samantha telling him that the doctor's had told Martin that it would take time for him to eat like he used to, Jello and chicken with rice the most exotic of foods for the next few months. So, he had ignored it. _

_It was easier to ignore it than to delve into how Martin came to be injured. _

_The night of the shooting still haunted Danny sometimes but not as much as his cowardice at not seeing Martin afterwards. He wished he had been strong enough to visit him more in the hospital but as much as he wanted to, the crushing waves of guilt prevented him from doing so. He felt guilty that he had walked away with only a bump on the head while Martin lay fighting for his life. _

_He would keep busy, doing anything to keep from having a single moment to contemplate all that had happened. After the shooting he jumped right back into the case, pushing and shoving his way through the investigation to find Dornvald and every case that followed. And when there were no cases to occupy his mind, he would seek out the warm body of any woman he could entice to his bed. The need to keep his focus on something, anything else was imperative. Not only as a distraction from the shooting but also the only possible substitute for liquor. Sex was the only other thing that could block out his guilt and numb his pain. _

_Because in the months after the shooting, every time he closed his eyes he would relive that night. In his mind all he could see were all the things he did that he thought were wrong, things he should have done differently. He was haunted, wondering when exactly Martin had been shot. Was it when they were in reverse, moving away from the men intent to cause them harm? Or was it afterwards, when Danny exited the car, moving to the rear to exchange gunfire with Dornvald? He would never be absolutely certain, as much as he wished, no, needed to know. It was the most desperate feeling he has ever felt. _

_With the luxury of hindsight, he would replay that night but would change his actions so as a result the outcome was always different. After they collided with the parked car and before he got out, he would have pulled Martin out of the vehicle. Or sometimes he envisioned that he would have unbuckled Martin from his seatbelt and leaned him over onto the passenger side, out of the line of fire. Of course, in this version he would also anticipate his gun jamming so he would have taken Martin's gun and used it instead. But as much as he re-imagined how it could have gone, every day he had to face what was or, better yet, ignore it. _

_He had tried to go visit Martin when he was recovering but each time he would think about it he would be gripped with guilt, its hold so strong it practically suffocated him. So he came up with excuses whenever Sam or Viv would invite him along to go to the hospital. He had to go to a meeting, he had to finish his report, he had to go see Rafi, he had to do his laundry, he had to watch his nephew, any reason he could find. _

_It was easier to face Viv or Samantha's pitying expressions than go to the hospital. On those rare occasions he couldn't come up with an excuse fast enough and had to go to the hospital, his pulse would quicken and his heart would race so fast it bordered on a panic attack. _

_With trepidation, he would step towards Martin's room, his nostrils filled with the scent of sickness and death. It wasn't just the hospital smells of antibacterial soap, antiseptic or bleach but phantom smells would appear as well; gunpowder, rain on wet pavement and blood assaulted his senses. Sometimes he thought he could still feel Martin's blood on his hands, warm and wet and impossible to stop flowing. _

_On shaky legs he would enter the room to see Martin's pale form lying on the bed, almost always unconscious. Danny's eyes would scan his weakened and wounded form, his gaze landing on Martin's gauze wrapped chest. Danny's own chest would suddenly seize up, inexplicable pain pressing down on him. He would try and make light chit-chat with whoever was there, Sam, Martin's mother, or even Victor Fitzgerald but he found himself speaking rapidly, even stammering over his own words from being so nervous and so desperate to get out of that room. Eventually, unable to take it a moment longer he would pretend to get a phone call from someone and leave. _

_Eventually though, the two men managed to rebuild their friendship but it was very clear that it was altered by the shooting. Danny was cautious around Martin, his guilt coloring all his interactions with him. In turn, Martin was always a safe distance, never confiding too much if at all. _

_The night that they went to rescue Ethan Heller and Martin came dangerously close to killing himself and the little boy, all their frustrations came to a head. Danny pushed on Martin, angrily accusing him of being an addict. And Martin pushed back that he had it under control and Danny had no idea what he was talking about. _

_Danny knew he should have gone to Jack or Sam or Viv or even Lisa Harris about what Martin was going through but as angry as he was he also felt so culpable in Martin's situation he couldn't bring himself to reveal his secret. He couldn't help but wonder if he had just reached out to Martin when it mattered most that his friend wouldn't be in the situation he was in now. But rather than trying to reach out to Martin again, he just got angrier and opted to give him the silent treatment. He knew it was wrong but guilt was not a rational feeling. _

_When Samantha talked to him about Martin, telling him that he was the best one to help Martin get clean he knew he couldn't ignore this away any longer. So he gave Sam the information to give to Martin and if he really wanted to get clean he would show up to the Chelsea Community Center that night. _

_So here he sat, idly listening to testimonials and repeatedly checking the time wondering when the hell Martin was going to arrive. He was worried that if Martin couldn't make this first step that he wouldn't be able to kick the habit. And that thought alone made Danny feel even more responsible for his friend's situation. He clasped his hands, bringing them up to his mouth. He was worried about what he would have to do if Martin didn't come. _

_Seconds later, Martin arrived. He lingered at the door wearing jeans, a gray zip-up hoody and a black beanie. It didn't take a profiler or psychologist to make the connection that Martin was dressed to hide his identity. He was ashamed to be here. Danny knew that Martin coming was a big step but it was clearly going to take some time for Martin to accept that this is where he belonged. _

_Wordlessly, Danny made eye contact with Martin and reached over, picking up the newspaper he had been using to hold a chair for Martin. Facing the speaker, Danny waited for Martin to sit down. He kept his gaze focused straight ahead. He knew that Martin was feeling fragile so he needed to show Martin that in this room, at every AA or NA meeting, self-pity was useless emotion. Every single person in this room, no matter their background, social status, age, looks, or race, felt the same. They all hated how low they had sunk because of their addictions and the only thing they wanted was to get clean and get their lives back. _

_So he sat by his friend and let him come to realize that on his own. He would help Martin in every way possible but he couldn't get clean for him. So while he knew he owed it to Martin to not let his guilt prevent him from being there, he couldn't absorb Martin's guilt over becoming an addict either…as much as he wished he could._

XoX

"Hey," Martin's voice greeted, pulling Danny out of his reverie.

He looked over to see Martin entering the bullpen. "Yeah?"

Jerking his chin down the hall, Martin announced, "Nina's here. I put her in interview room 2."

"Great." Standing up and gathering his notes and files, Danny asked, "You wanna sit in with me?"

"Sure," he replied, pausing to take a long drink of his coffee and setting it atop his desk. He grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. "Let's go."

The two men went to the interview room to find Nina sitting worriedly inside. After making quick introductions, they sat down opposite of her. Danny's eyes flicked to her gold plated necklace, with her name spelled out in gold.

"The reason I called you was we found this and were wondering if you recognize it," Danny explained as he slid the photo of the keychain across the table towards Nina.

She lifted up the photo, a forlorn expression crossing her face. "It's Dian's." She set the photo down and met his eyes. "Where did you find it? Did you find his car, too?"

Not ready to give up too much information, Danny replied, "We haven't located his car yet." He took the photo and placed it back in the file. "What can you tell us about your employers, Sanya and Risto?"

Nina blanched, her eyes shifting between the two men. "Why? You don't think they had anything to do with Dian do you?"

"You don't?" Martin asked, leaning forward with interest. "Because it seems to us that several of your co-workers are rather…hesitant around them."

"I can see how some of them might find Sanya difficult but she will treat you very well as long as she knows she can trust you," Nina replied with conviction. "She is loyal to those who are loyal to her."

"And if you're not?" Danny asked. Nina averted his gaze, lowering her eyes. He leaned forward, deciding to press his luck. "You seem to like Sanya so you might as well tell us what you know before we get it from someone else who might not be as loyal as you."

Looking up, Nina's jaw tensed up. "You have to understand. She's overcome so much and she doesn't like it when someone tries to take advantage of her generosity…"

XoX

_Nine months ago during the early afternoon at Dobre Scre, the staff is gathered around the bar. Michelle, Nina, Dian, and a few other workers are seated at the bar while the bartender and Sanya stand behind the counter. _

_Sanya's hair is pulled back into a tight bun and her make-up is flawless. She is dressed in a tight velour Juicy tracksuit accentuated with gold hoop earrings. Careful to not ruin her bright pink acrylic nails, she delicately but firmly cuts the green fruit. Moving the lime wedges into a plastic bowl she looks around at her staff. "Now, I gathered you all here because last night I was doing some accounting." _

_She finished slicing up a lime and reached for another one. She held it up, her eyes studying it very carefully as she talked. "And I noticed that our inventory and our income are not matching up like they should." Deeming the lime worthy, she set it down on the cutting board and began slicing. "Does anyone here know why that is?" _

_Nina glanced around the bar, the staff looking somewhere between confused and scared. She smiled at Sanya and said, "Are you sure you did the books right? I know I sometimes mess up when I have to add and subtract lots of numbers."_

_Sanya gave her a warm smile and replied, "I'm sure, sweety. I'm sure." With a swift motion she cut the lime in two. "And that is what is so troubling to me. Because I know that I always double check and then I triple check so I know it isn't my math." She held up the knife, her index finger poised on the tip as she glanced around, meeting the eyes of each and every one as if trying to decipher what they knew. "Now, Risto and I have been very generous with all of you, have we not?" She looked directly at Dian, Michelle and Nina, "We helped some of you get visas," and then turned to some of the others, "We co-signed on some of you car or home loans." She finally shifted her gaze to the bartender, holding the knife with a firm grip. "And yet you think it is okay to steal from us by skimming money off the register." _

_Before they even knew how it happened, Sanya swung the knife, stabbing the bartender in the hand. He screamed, the knife going all the way through his flesh and adhering to the wooden counter. _

_With his hand stuck to the bar, he shook his head and cried, "No, Sanya. I didn't…"_

_Sanya gave him a cold, hard look and replied, "Do not lie to me." She reached over and grabbed his chin, her nails digging into the side of his face as she turned his head to look directly at her. "I trusted you and you betrayed me. Do not insult me further by lying." _

_He had tears streaming down his cheeks, looking at the others for help. Nina shrunk back, unable to look at him and Sanya a moment longer. She knew that no one was going to intervene on his behalf. She clasped her eyes shut when she heard Dian speaking._

"_Sanya, please, he has learned his lesson," Dian pleaded on the man's behalf. _

_Nina opened her eyes and looked over to see Sanya looking back at Dian. She cocked her head at him and grinned. "Very well," she replied, releasing her hold on the bartenders face. She looked around at the crew and said, "I think I have made my point." She reached for a towel and wiped the lime juice off her fingers. "Do not cross me. I will be loyal to you but only if you are loyal to me." _

_That said, she put the towel on the bartender's hand and pressed hard. He cried out, the lime juice stinging his wounds as she yanked the knife out of his hand. She tossed the knife into the sink and leaned in close to the bartenders face. "Lucky for you, I am a forgiving woman. I will give you one more chance but if you cross me again, I won't be nearly as nice." _

_She walked to the sink and washed her hands, the blood running pink down the drain. She grabbed a nearby clean towel, dried her hands and tossed the towel at him. She looked at Dian and ordered, "Take him to the hospital. He can use the money he stole from me to pay for the medical expenses." She turned and started to the back room, over her shoulder she said, "Nina, cover the bar._

XoX

"That's pretty severe," Martin observed.

"He was stealing," Nina dutifully replied, reaching up and nervously playing with her necklace.

"She could have just pressed charges," Danny argued.

"He is in this country on a work visa," Nina countered. "She handled it in house, he learned his lesson and he never did it again. She is tough but it would have been worse for him if she had him arrested or fired him."

"You're very protective of them," Martin surmised, leaning back in his chair.

"They've been nothing but good to me and my brother," she softly replied.

"Who's your brother?" Danny asked, pulling out his notebook and pen.

"Ivo, Ivo Komsic," she replied, her eyes flicking between him and Martin. "He and Risto are very good friends. Ivo helps run all of the businesses."

Danny glanced up from his notes. "I met Ivo yesterday and he didn't mention that his little sister was dating the man we're looking for."

Nina released a heavy breath. "He doesn't like me dating Dian."

"Why not?"

"He wants me to date someone more important," she quietly replied. "He says he wants me to marry up."

Danny was gearing up to ask her another question when there was a knock on the door and it opened up.

"Sorry to interrupt," Sam apologized before looking directly at him and Martin. "I need to speak to you both right now."

They stood up, excusing themselves and telling Nina to stay put before joining Sam in the hallway.

"We got a hit on Dian's credit card in Atlantic City," she said, handing them a printout. "I had the casino pull the surveillance footage and they just sent me this."

Danny looked at the printout and saw a photo still of a man wearing a baseball cap pulling money from an ATM. He carefully studied the photograph. "I can't be sure but it does look a lot like Dian."

"I called the casino and they said that the man who pulled the money out of the machine has already left," Sam replied, crossing her arms. "I called local PD to keep an eye out for him but it looks like Sanya was right. He just might be out on a gambling binge."

"Maybe we should head out there ourselves just to be sure," Danny commented as he handed the photo to Martin. "If it is Dian I'd be curious to know why he didn't tell anyone where he was going."

"Can't," Sam replied, shaking her head. "We have to help with Viv's human traffic case this afternoon, remember, the raid on the clinic?"

"We can go afterwards," Martin replied, handing the photo back to Samantha. "It's just a raid on a bunch of doctors and nurses. We should be in and out, no problem."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

XoXoXoXoX

January 22, 2009  
FBI Building, NYC

Danny reached over, grabbed the water pitcher and a clean glass. As he poured, he could feel the entire OPR panel studying him carefully – waiting for him to answer yet another question about what happened that lead to the charges against Martin. He set the pitcher back down, beads of sweat rolling off the plastic and pooling around the base. He took a long drink, savoring the reprieve so he could gather his thoughts.

Setting the glass down, he explained, "After the raid on the clinic things got…," he searched for the right words. Fucked up by Jack? No. Best not go there. Spiraled out of control? The entire team felt adrift, unsure about the fate of their leader? He felt like Jack could have been killed because of his recklessness but more than that he felt guilty that he overlooked all of Jack's recklessness in the past and now it was coming back to bite them all in the ass? No, definitely best to avoid that landmine. He searched his brain, trying to locate the right adjective when he finally selected one. "Intense. Things got intense for our team as we became focused on finding Jack. So Vivian Johnson, as acting ASAC, had a few agents from a field office in New Jersey go down to Atlantic City to see if it was indeed Dian Grebo at the casino."

"And what were their findings?" Special Agent Andy Cole asked as if he didn't already know the answer.

"They reported that they tracked down Dian and he was holed up in a cheap hotel," Danny replied, pausing to take another drink. "Satisfied that he was just off gambling and not really a missing person the case was closed."

He began refilling the glass, his mouth still dry no matter how much water he drank. As he poured, he looked over as Van Doren shifted in her seat, her expression unreadable. He brought the glass to his lips and over the rim he spied the Director and Olcyzk talking quietly between themselves.

Cole cleared his throat, waiting until Danny set his glass down before asking, "Now during the months between the supposed closing of Dian Grebo's case and the recent charges and subsequent investigation into Agent Fitzgerald's actions, you didn't have any suspicions or concerns about his behavior?"

"The team was adjusting to a lot of changes," Danny snapped back, all eyes on him. "None of us were really ourselves, much less noticing differences in each other."

With a smirk, Cole snippily said, "Because your ASAC, Jack Malone, was involved in his own…"

"I'm sorry, is this about Martin Fitzgerald or Jack Malone?" Danny argued. "Or is this a general free-for-all witch hunt?"

"It probably wouldn't feel that way if so many of your team members didn't engage in illegal activities," Cole evenly countered.

"That's enough," Van Doren growled, shooting both Danny and Cole warning looks. Satisfied that they were both backing up to their respective corners she met Danny's eyes and said, "I can assure you that this investigation is strictly about Agent Fitzgerald." Danny clenched his jaw and remained quiet. "But you have to agree, Agent Taylor, the changes your team underwent in the months following Dian Grebo's disappearance were significant factors in why you and your fellow team members failed to notice certain changes in Agent Fitzgerald's behavior and conduct."

Danny swallowed, realizing that Van Doren was making a reasonable point. "Yes," he sheepishly replied.

"Good, now please take us through it," Director Johnson ordered, his voice low and cool.

Danny lowered his head and took a breath. When he looked up he began, "During the raid we discovered that my ASAC Jack Malone had begun his own investigation…"

As Danny carefully explained the situation regarding Jack and Jen Long from the initial stages of the investigation through to his subsequent demotion he did his best to keep it clear, concise and most of all objective. It was easier to talk about now that enough time had passed and his emotions weren't clouding his perception of Jack or the events that followed.

While he gave OPR the most preliminary summation of the timeline, in the back of his mind memories of that time were conjured up. The months following Jack's vigilante actions regarding Jen Long and the human trafficking case, their entire team felt divided, adrift. Jack cleaned out his office and had to set up camp at a temporary desk in the bullpen. Not only was it awkward for them to work with their supervisor and mentor in such close proximity on a daily basis but the tension was so thick between Jack and Vivian that it made everyone else anxious and on edge. Eventually, over a period of time, once the bruised egos were healed and the humble pie was consumed, they managed to call a truce, make amends. As angry as Vivian had been and as confident Jack had been that he'd ultimately done the right thing, they realized that they were friends and neither would have succeeded or survived without the other.

As for Danny and Elena, they had basically just tried to stay out of the line of fire, each sticking to their jobs while remaining loyal to beliefs. Elena was unflinching in her support of Jack. Danny suspected it was because he had helped her so much during the incidents with Carlos. However, Danny wondered if that was the very reason he had felt more loyal to Vivian. Not only did he believe that Jack was completely wrong in his actions, undermining Viv's authority, but he also had still harbored some resentment towards Jack for making him a secondary figure in the Carlos debacle; beginning with not letting Danny shoot Carlos all the way to the fact that Jack took his role as supporter of Elena during the trial. However, in spite of all that, he also felt like he had been the lone voice of reason and even if he was the one responsible for Jack getting demoted, in the long run it served his friend and supervisor immensely.

Jack was seeing his therapist, Claire Bryson, fairly regularly and as a result he slowly returned to the Jack Malone that he and the rest of the team loved. He still had his dark moments but there wasn't a perpetual cloud over his head everywhere he went and the tension didn't rise every time Jack entered a room. After a few months of working "street" Jack was returned to his own position. In great thanks to Olzyck's hard work and another interview of all the team members by OPR.

Samantha was probably the least affected by the situation during that time. When word had finally come back about Jack from OPR, she had delivered her son, David, and was placed on maternity leave. She was out of the office for a few months, adjusting to her new role in life: mother. Danny and Elena kept their promise and checked up on her from time to time. She seemed to thrive in her new role, just as Martin had predicted she became a pretty amazing mother. She had doubts as any new mother would. She often phoned Elena or Vivian for advice on certain matters but she mostly learned how to do a lot on her own. Not that she was by herself entirely, Brian Donovan, the father that the team didn't officially meet until David was already born, became a constant fixture in Sam's apartment. Danny wasn't sure what the odds were that they would last considering the circumstances that they were thrown together but he was grateful that they were at least trying to both be good parents to David.

However despite his hopes for Samantha, Danny couldn't help but think it was a shame that she and Martin didn't work out.

Martin.

At the time it had seemed to Danny that Martin, trying to avoid having to act as a buffer between Jack and Viv, spent a great deal of time out in the field or laying low in the tech room. When there was no case to occupy their time, Martin would excuse himself saying that he was going to grab a snack in the break room, catch up with an agent in another unit, run an errand, or any other lame excuse he could come up with to get as far from the uncomfortable situation that had been Jack and Vivian. But now, with the luxury of knowing now what he didn't know then, the signs seemed so blatantly obvious that there had been other factors at work.

It was clear that Martin was happier than he had been in a long time. Smiles crossing his face easily, he often cracked jokes and engaged in playful banter. When Danny inquired about it, Martin often claimed he had a date or was seeing someone. But whenever Danny or Elena would try and get Martin to join them on a double date, he would either deflect or tell them that it hadn't worked out and he was looking for someone new. However Martin never seemed disappointed that he hadn't found someone long term, his mood never souring. He went through a long string of women whose names Danny most likely would never forget: Celia, Lisa, Amy, Ingrid, Ruby, Elaine, Rachel, Olivia, Beth, Emma, Rose, Tanya, and Susan.

It was strange to look back now and remember how happy and content Danny had been during those months before Martin had been accused. How he had thought that everything was right with the world, and it was. Or at least it was in his immediate world.

XoX

_Danny picked up the dinner plates, stacking them and carrying them to the sink. He turned on the faucet and began rinsing the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. Elena and Sofie's voices filtered down the hall, he could hear them chatting and giggling as Elena helped her daughter get ready for bed. _

_This was the one thing that continued to surprise him to this day: how mellow Elena was at home. At work, she wasn't hesitant about offering up warm smiles or a friendly ear but she was always a consummate professional. There was work to be done and she always faced it straight on, intense and focused. But here at home, she was relaxed, easy, and affectionate. _

_He could still remember how Carlos would complain about how much Elena would nag him, constantly "riding his ass" was how he phrased it. Danny never questioned his friend at the time, following the strict code of "bros before hos". He also had no reason to doubt him because whenever he would go to Carlos' apartment and Elena was there she was always in a bad mood. While she was always polite to Danny, she was often chilly towards Carlos. Of course, when he heard Elena's side of the story that was her relationship with Carlos, her behavior and attitude made perfect sense._

_Luckily, getting to know her through work he found her funny, soft, welcoming and nothing at all like he had once perceived her. And that's how easily he fell. _

_As he loaded the utensils into the dishwasher he laughed, remembering what Martin had once told him: "Careful there, brother." He knew his friend was giving him some friendly advice based on personal experience but, fortunately, Danny had already begun to feel something for Elena so any warnings fell on deaf ears. _

_He snapped the dishwasher shut and hit the start button. He ran a wet sponge over the table and tossed it into the kitchen sink as he exited the kitchen to head towards the bedroom. As he walked down the hall the voices filtering down the hallway grew louder and more distinct. He paused just outside Sofie's bedroom door, listening as she and Elena talked. _

"…_and then Mrs. Ramirez said that I got the highest score on the geography test," Sofie proudly declared. _

"_Really? Let me see," Elena teased. The door was slightly ajar so he peeked through the crack to find Elena sitting on the side of Sofie's bed, the little girl nestled under the covers. "What is the capital of North Carolina?" _

"_Raleigh," Sofie proudly answered. "Ask me another one." _

"_Okay, let me think," Elena replied, pretending to give it serious thought. Danny smiled, knowing that this was the favorite part of Elena's day: quiet one-on-one time with her daughter. "What is the capital of Oregon?" _

_From where he stood he could see Sofie hesitate, thinking carefully. He thought she might not know the answer when she perked up and loudly replied, "Salem." _

_With a beaming look, Elena exclaimed, "My daughter, the genius." Sofie giggled as her mom began tickling her affectionately. Soon, Elena stopped and Sofie settled down. Gently brushing Sofie's bangs away from her eyes, she softly said, "Buenos noches, mamita." _

"_Buenos noches, mami," Sofie replied as Elena planted a kiss on her forehead. _

_Danny pushed the door open and asked, "Can I have a goodnight kiss, too?"_

"_Yes," Sofie replied, grinning widely and snuggling under the covers. _

_He crossed the room and leaned over Sofie, giving her a goodnight kiss. "Buenos noches, Reina Sofia." _

_She giggled and murmured, "Buenos noches, Danny." _

_He clicked off the light, adjusted her comforter so she was nice and tucked in, and turned, following Elena out of the bedroom. He shut the door after him and looked over to find Elena watching him with a bemused smile. _

_He stepped up, wrapping his arms around her waist. She gave him a coquettish grin, placed the palms of her hands on his chest and gave him a long, deep kiss. It was the one thing he didn't think he would ever grow tired of, kissing Elena. Her lips were soft, pliable and always welcoming. _

_Their lips broke apart, more out of a need for air than anything else. He trailed small soft kisses along her jaw line, his lips journeying down to her neck. "Shouldn't we take this to the bedroom?" he murmured against her smooth olive skin. "If you want me out of here before the princess gets up I don't want to waste," he planted a warm kiss on her collarbone, "a single minute."_

_Elena tilted her head to the side, giving him better access as she ran her hands up and around his neck. With her hand gently caressing his hair, she breathed, "Maybe you can stay overnight." _

_He stopped what he was doing and lifted up his chin to look directly at her. "What did you say?" _

_She met his eyes and replied, "I want you to stay the night…all night…until the morning."_

_He went quiet, studying her eyes to see if she really meant it. "Are you sure? You always said you were worried about Sofie being confused or getting too attached."_

_She moved her hands, sliding them around his neck to cup his face. "I know what I said and thank you for being patient during…everything," she replied, her big brown eyes meeting his, pausing long enough to kiss him again. "But it's silly for me to keep sneaking you out. You're here just about every night and almost every morning." She moved her hands to his shoulders, gently massaging his arms. "Sofie expects to see you everyday so I think she isn't confused about what you mean to the both of us." She smiled at him and finished, "And I think it's safe to say we are both attached to you." _

_He grinned. "That's good because I'm pretty attached to you and Sofie, too." _

_She lifted her chin and kissed him hard. He didn't know it was possible to kiss and grin at the same time. She pulled back and asked, "So are you going to stay over or what?"_

_He snaked his hands to the front of her trousers, gently tracing his fingers along the edge between her pants and her bare belly. "Of course, I'm going to stay." He moved in to kiss her and breathed, "But you better watch out, because I'm like a stray puppy. Once you let me stay it's almost impossible to get rid of me." _

XoX

Shortly after it was just understood and expected that Danny would be there every night. Slowly his suits occupied half of Elena's closet, his socks, t-shirts, boxers and jeans filling half of her dresser. For all intents and purposes, they were living together. But he kept his own apartment; more so for Elena's parents benefit than his own need to have a place of his own.

Everything was perfect until that fateful day when the Dian Grebo's case was reopened.

But Danny didn't tell OPR any of that, he just told the story he had typed up in his report.

"So you admit that you missed some clear signs that Fitzgerald was," Agent Cole paused, searching for the right phrasing, "Acting out of character."

Danny clasped his hands and set them on the table. "I guess you could say that."

"But would you say that?" Agent Cole pressed.

"As I wrote in my report, the entire team was changing," Danny carefully replied. "We were all out of character."

Because now, looking back, Danny could recognize that during the months prior to the case re-entering their lives, Martin was also immensely distracted. He kept misplacing his car keys, his wallet, and, on more than one occasion, his clip-on FBI ID. He was often running late or had to leave early. He still attended NA meetings on a regular basis but skipped out on their dinners several times, often claiming that he had a date, a prior engagement, or was tired from a long day. Danny didn't mind though, he was just so happy in his own life and even more so that it seemed liked the old Martin had re-emerged. Not to mention being pleased that Martin was out there playing the field again. His friend had a constant stream of woman floating through his life and while Danny was now in a committed relationship, the playboy inside of him was proud of his friend for getting back out there having fun. So much so that he willfully overlooked signs, clues that he now knows he should have seen.

Because later, after the shit had hit the proverbial fan, Danny asked Martin about all the lying and deceit, asking why it was so easy for him to create the names of all the women he was supposedly dating. Martin looked at him and smiled, telling him that it was easy because all of the women's names were really an acronym for just one woman in particular.

**C**elia  
**L**isa  
**A**my  
**I**ngrid  
**R**uby  
**E**laine

**R**achel  
**O**livia  
**B**eth  
**E**mma  
**R**ose  
**T**anya  
**S**usan

Claire Roberts. That was her name. The name of the woman that Martin had risked everything for: his career, his reputation, his friends, his freedom, and ultimately, his life.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

XoXoXoXoX

January 15, 2009  
_One week earlier…_

Through the dark lenses of his sunglasses, Danny sought out a place to park the car. Earlier Jack had called and asked him and Martin to meet him at Bower Salvage Yard in Queens. He slowed the car down and found a space beside a black and white and a large stack of used tires. After carefully parking the sedan and stepping out, he pocketed his keys and looked over to see Martin release a large yawn as he exited the passenger side.

Smirking, Danny asked, "Late night with Tanya?"

Slamming the car door shut, Martin waggled his eyebrows behind his own shades and grinned. "Actually, her name was Susan."

"What happened to Tanya?" he asked as they flashed their badges to the officer manning the crime scene.

"Just didn't work out," Martin replied as he lifted up the yellow crime scene tape. He waited for Danny to go first before adding, "You know how it can be. She kept saying I didn't have enough time for her." He moved under the tape and finished, "I tried telling her it's my job but she didn't get it so I ended it."

Shaking his head, Danny laughed. "And now there is Susan."

"Yup," Martin replied as the two men walked over to where most of the activity seemed to be centered.

"How did you meet this one?" Danny asked as he scanned the area looking for any sign of Jack.

"Gym," he replied, pointing over to where Jack was standing by the trunk of a burnt up car.

The car wasn't smoldering, looking like it had been burnt months earlier. The frame was ash black and the insides charred. From where Danny stood he could see the dashboard was melted, the steering wheel misshapen and the seats of the car exposed to their frames and springs.

"What do we have, Jack?" Danny asked as he and Martin approached.

Not looking up, Jack replied, "Do either of you remember a missing person from about a year ago by the name of Dian Grebo?"

"The bouncer, right?" Martin volunteered, removing his sunglasses and tucking them in his coat pocket. "I think we found out he was off gambling in Atlantic City."

"Something like that," Jack darkly replied, gesturing with his latex gloved hands to something inside the trunk.

Danny and Martin stepped up to the trunk and looked inside to find charred skeletal remains. The body was contracted tightly, almost like a fetal position and any visual positive identification was impossible.

"What makes you think this is Dian?" Danny asked, swallowing back down the bile in his throat – the sight and smell of death still overwhelming him despite his years of experience.

"I don't know if it is," Jack replied, stepping back and pointing to the license plate. "But this car is registered to one Dian Grebo and according to the coroner he's been dead between nine to eleven months." He paused and added, "When he gets the body back to the morgue he can verify it."

The three men shared a look, each knowing there is no such thing as coincidence that the body was burned around the same time that Dian had gone missing.

"Is the CSU unit done here?" Martin asked, studying the frame of the car. Jack nodded so he pulled a pair of his own latex gloves from his pocket. He snapped them on before carefully yanking the passenger door open, emitting a loud cracking sound.

"The yard manager was moving cars around and found him like this," Jack explained, his gaze fixed on something. Danny followed his line of sight and saw a grubby looking middle-aged man with a scraggly beard and pock marked face talking to a uniformed officer.

"And the guy never noticed a car on fire in his yard?" Danny asked, incredulous.

"According to him it was towed here like this," Jack replied, looking back at the car. "He said he gets so many cars dumped here that he never questioned it."

"That's convenient," Danny commented.

"Yeah," Jack agreed as he stepped around to look in the trunk. "Anyway, local PD ran the plates and they hit our old case file. The desk sergeant is a friend and gave me a heads up. They agreed to toss the investigation back into our court."

Danny nodded, not surprised. Most NYPD Homicide Divisions have enough murders on their board to clear that they would happily pass on a case that seemed unlikely to be solved.

"With the car being torched and sitting here for so long it's going to be tough to find any usable trace evidence," Martin commented, crouching down to try and pop open the glove compartment.

At a glance Danny knew it was useless, the seams were sealed shut. Ignoring Martin's fruitless efforts, he looked over at Jack and asked, "I don't get it. Why didn't anyone contact one of us to say that Dian was still missing?"

"I thought about that," Jack replied, stepping aside so the two men from the coroner's office could remove the body from the trunk. "They either took our word that Dian was off in Atlantic City…"

"Or they were happy we stopped looking," Danny finished.

Jack nodded. He pulled off his gloves and, with his eyes on the body, quietly asked, "Do you happen to remember if Dian ever picked up his dice keychain from evidence?"

Danny shrugged. "Why?"

"I have a hunch," he vaguely replied before adding, "Do me a favor and find out." Jack directed when Martin appeared at Danny's side. "And Martin, get Dian's financials. If we did in fact find Dian I'd like to know what he's been up to since he was last spotted gambling."

"You got it," Danny replied. He glanced at Martin, jerking his chin towards the car. "You ready to roll?"

"Yeah," Martin replied, giving the car a final look before falling in step beside him.

A short while later the two men arrived at the office, both walking into the bullpen at the same time before heading to their respective desks. Danny picked up his phone to call the Evidence Room when Samantha walked up. She dropped a folder on his desk so he replaced the phone on the cradle.

Picking up the folder he asked, "What's this?"

"The original case file for Dian Grebo," she replied, sitting on the edge of his desk. "Jack called ahead and asked me to pull it. He also wanted me to give you a heads up that he called Risto and Sanya in for an interview. He wants you there."

Danny sighed and flipped open the folder. "Well, at least if they're coming here I won't have to risk seeing Risto in his speedo again." His face scrunched up tight at the memory of his last conversation with the man.

"Let's hope not," she quipped before walking back to her own desk.

He shut the folder and set it aside, picking up his phone again. He dialed the phone number for the evidence locker. It rang two times before Sherman, the elderly agent managing the office, picked up.

"Evidence Locker," Sherman answered, in his curmudgeon voice. "Special Agent Sherman Crane speaking."

"Hey Sherman, it's Danny Taylor from MPU," Danny replied, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the desk. "Will you please tell me if a piece of evidence was picked up and when. The case number is," he read the case number off the folder, "X1013 – 8760."

"Hold please," Sherman curtly replied.

Danny reached over and picked up a pen, tapping it in time with the Musak that played while he was on hold. The song sounded familiar and he tried to identify it but drew a blank. He sighed, glancing around the office and watching as Vivian and Elena walked into the bullpen. Elena flashed him a small smile before moving over to talk to Samantha at her desk.

"Alright," Sherman said when he came back on the line. "According to my files no one has picked it up. It's still here."

"You sure? It was cleared to be returned to the original owner."

"I see that. I left three messages with, er," Sherman paused, working out how to pronounce the name, "Dee-ann Gray-bow, or however you say his name, but he never called back so I just put it back in the locker. Of course, if it's here for a year I am obligated to donate it to the FBI auction."

"Well, we're reopening the case so just leave it there," Danny replied. "We may need to refer to it."

"I'm going to need one you to fill out the proper paperwork," Sherman growled. "I can't just reclassify evidence because of a phone call…"

"Yes, I'll get it processed immediately," Danny interrupted, not feeling up to hearing one of Sherman's rants about filing the proper paperwork and how many agents try to shirk their responsibilities and how it has led to a breakdown of respect of the laws and rules of society. "I will have it on your desk by the end of the day."

"Okay then," Sherman replied, sounding bothered that his rant was cut short. "I will expect it in my office by end of the day, which is six o'clock. Not 6:05 or 6:10 but six o'clock on the nose." That said, he promptly hung up.

Danny set his phone back down on the receiver and reached over for his mouse, sliding it around to bring his monitor to life. He clicked on the evidence form and began typing when a shadow crossed over his desk. He looked up to see Martin standing next to him.

"I'm on my way to get the warrant processed to access to Dian's financials," Martin said, leaning over the backboard. His eyes flicked to the folder on Danny's desk. "Where are you on the keychain?"

"It's still in house," Danny replied, giving Martin the cursory summary of his conversation with Sherman. "I am working on the form to keep it in evidence in case we need it because you know Sherman…"

"A phone call doesn't replace filling out the proper forms," they said at the same time.

They both chuckled and Danny added, "Not that it will do any good since we couldn't get any usable prints but you never know when one tiny thing can blow a case wide open."

Martin nodded and started to step away, softly replying, "Yeah, you never know."

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
A/N: Big thanks to Anmodo. Not only was she super fast in her beta turnaround time but once again, her contributions to this chapter were invaluable.

AND Super Big THANKS to all of you for your reviews. They totally make my day. Seriously, you should see how giddy I get when I get that email notifying me that someone submitted a review. LOL. Thank you!


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

XoXoXoXoX

Danny stood next to Jack, staring inside the two-way mirror. Inside, Risto sat at the interview table looking completely relaxed and at ease. He was reclined in his chair, casually studying the cuticles of his fingernails as if he had all the time in the world. He was wearing black slacks and a black button up shirt with the first few buttons undone. By all accounts he looked respectable but from where Danny stood, he could still see some of Risto's chest hair peeking out and that alone sent a creepy crawly feeling up his arm.

With a grimace at the sight of the slimy Risto, Danny asked, "Where's Sanya?"

"She's in room two." Jack jerked his chin to another interview room and started ambling down the hall so Danny followed. "Let's talk to her first. Risto doesn't seem to be in any hurry so I have no problem keeping him waiting awhile longer."

They reached the room and glancing inside Danny saw Sanya sitting at the table looking bored. She was, as he expected, still dressed like classic Euro trash. She was wearing a white mink coat that fell open to reveal her gold halter-top accentuated with multiple gold chains. Her hair was pulled back with a Gucci scarf and her long mane hung loose and straight. Her makeup was flawless and Danny noted that her lipstick was a perfect match to her red nail polish. He also couldn't help but think Sanya could be quite attractive if she didn't cover her face up with so much make-up.

"Neither one of them seems the least bit concerned about why we called them in," Danny noted with his eyes on Sanya as she pulled a cigarette from her purse and lit up. His eyes darted to the large red sign on the wall of the interview room. "And Sanya has no problem ignoring no smoking signs."

Jack smirked. "You can lecture her about the dangers of smoking after we ask her about Dian."

Danny chuckled softly as the two men rounded the corner and entered the interview room.

Sanya looked over, taking a long drag of her cigarette. As she exhaled, she said, "FBI, how lovely to see you again."

"Ms. Kovac," Jack greeted as he and Danny sat down.

"I'm beginning to think you're hiding Agent Boy Scout from me? Is he shy?" she asked, tilting her head to look at the mirrored window behind Danny. "Or maybe he just likes to watch?" She blew a kiss in the direction of the window.

Ignoring her, Jack strummed his fingers on the table and said, "We want to talk to you about your friend Dian Grebo."

She chuckled coldly, shaking her head. "He was my employee, not my friend."

"That's funny," Danny replied, leaning forward on the table as Sanya's eyes darted to him, "Because the last time we talked your boyfriend, Risto, said Dian was practically like family."

She grinned, easing forward to meet his eyes. "I am not Risto."

"But he is your fiancée," he pointedly replied, "And in my culture, you marry the man you marry his family."

"We are not in Mexico," she snidely replied.

His very sensitive nerve pinched tight, Danny snapped back, "I'm Cuban."

"Whatever, same thing," she replied rolling her eyes and taking another drag of her cigarette. "Why are you asking about Dian? We haven't seen him since he took off to Atlantic City."

"So he never came back?" Jack asked.

"No," she replied, shaking her head sadly. "I think he got scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Being a father," she replied, smoke billowing slowly from her mouth. "His girlfriend, Nina, was pregnant when he disappeared."

Danny shared a look with Jack as he said, "She never mentioned her pregnancy when I interviewed her."

"She didn't know," she replied, taking a final drag of her cigarette. She eyed the still smoldering filter and with no ashtray in sight, she extinguished the last bit under the table. "When she found out she went down to Atlantic City to track him down. He promised to come back but he never did." She set the bent up cigarette butt on top of the table. "Broke the poor girl's heart."

XoX

"_He hasn't come back and when I call him I just get his voicemail," Nina explained, her fingers nervously wadding up the tissue in her hands. She sat on the sofa in Risto's living room, tears streaming down her face. Sanya sat next to her while Risto sat on one of the chairs opposite them. "I didn't want to tell anyone until he came back so we could do it together but now," she rested the palm of her hand on her belly, "I'm starting to show. I can't hide it anymore."_

"_Dian is a weak man," Risto replied, his tone dark and angry. "He was never worthy of your affection." _

_She bent her head, her shoulders hitched as her crying intensified. "Ivo is going to be so angry at me for letting this happen. I should have listened to him, I should have been more careful."_

_Sanya reached over and tenderly brushed the hair away from Nina's face. "It's done now. You cannot change that now."_

_Nina wiped her cheeks. "I just…I don't know what to do." _

"_What do you want to do?" Risto asked, his voice very calm and even. He brought his glass of vodka to his lips and took a drink, not once taking his eyes off of her. _

_Nina raised her head and asked, "What do you mean?" _

_Lowering his glass, he leaned forward and fixed his gaze on hers. "The baby. What do you want to do?" Nina took a breath, unsure, so he pressed. "I know of a doctor…"_

"_No," she finally replied, adamantly shaking her head. "No, this baby is mine. I want my baby."_

_Risto stared at her for a beat before finally nodding slowly. "All right." He stood up, resting one hand on his hip and holding his empty glass in the other. Looking down at her he said, "We will help you. I will set you up with an apartment. You and the baby will want for nothing."_

"_What about Ivo?" Nina asked, nervously looking between Risto and Sanya. "He's going to be so upset."_

"_Do not worry about Ivo," Risto replied, walking over to the mini bar in the corner and pouring another drink. "I will talk to him myself. He is your family and this baby's uncle. It will be fine."_

"_Why don't you stay here tonight, Nina," Sanya said as she gently caressed the young woman's back. "I don't want you driving back to the city so late at night."_

_For the first time since telling them she smiled. "Thank you, you both have always been so good to me." _

"_You're Ivo's sister," Risto replied, walking back over and sitting down. "And we always take care of our own."_

"_That's right," Sanya agreed, a wide smile on her face. _

XoX

"Risto and I kept our promise," she finished, reaching into her purse and pulling out her compact. "Nina and her daughter have never wanted for anything."

Not believing the memory was as warm and tearful as she described, Danny shifted in his seat to look directly at Sanya. "And did Ivo get angry when he found out? I know he didn't approve of Nina dating Dian and her getting pregnant probably upset him even more."

"Ivo is a good man who loves his sister," Sanya adamantly replied. "He only wants the best for her."

"Loves her enough to get revenge on the man who hurt her?" Jack asked, clasping his hands on the table.

Sanya pursed her lips, not replying. Danny glanced at Jack in time to see him gear up to ask a question when the phone to the interview room rang. He and Jack shared a look before he stood up and to answer it.

As he picked up the phone, Danny was instantly greeted by a man's voice. "This is Agent Draper. I need to speak to Agent Malone in the hallway right now." Not waiting for a reply, the man hung up.

Danny set the phone back down and walked up to Jack, whispering in his ear what Draper had told him. Jack stared back at him before standing up. "We'll be right back."

He followed Jack into the hallway to find Agents Draper and Jenkins from JTTF waiting for them.

"I trust you have a good reason for interrupting my interview," Jack said.

"Cut them loose," Draper announced, motioning for Agent Jenkins to escort Sanya out.

"Excuse me," Jack said, eyebrow cocked. "This is my investigation and my interview. I say when it's over and not a minute sooner."

"With all due respect Agent Malone, I can assure you, you're done here," Draper coolly replied.

Danny glanced into the interview room to see Agent Jenkins enter.

"Ms. Kovac," Agent Jenkins greeted, holding out his hand to help Sanya stand up. "Your fiancée, Mr. Mistojovic, is waiting for you just outside."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Jack argued, snapping Danny back to the activity in the hallway. From where he stood, he could see the vein on Jack's temple throbbing.

Draper worked his jaw but remained mum, because at that moment, Jenkins and Sanya entered the hallway. Jenkins cast a furtive look at Danny as they walked past while Sanya, on the other hand, gave them all a pleasant smile.

Once they were out of earshot, Draper looked back over at Jack and quietly said, "Trust me, Jack, you need to take a step back on this one. This is bigger than MPU."

Jack narrowed his eyes at Draper and said, "Do you seriously think I'm going to back down just because you told me, 'it's bigger than MPU'?"

Draper studied Jack for a beat, and tried another tactic. "Look, I need you to back off. I've been working with ATF tracking Risto Mistojovic for almost four years."

"What for?" Danny asked, folding his arms.

Draper sighed and quietly replied, "Arms dealing."

"So that explains the ATF connection but why is JTTF involved?" Jack asked.

"We linked the weapons used in a series of bank robberies and attacks on research labs to Mistojovic," Draper replied, still speaking softly as if he were worried someone might overhear. "We contacted ATF and learned that they are building a case against him."

"Why isn't there a file on record?" Jack asked.

"We're just the liaisons," Draper replied. "As I said, it's falling under ATF."

"Four years is a long time," Jack commented, not looking convinced. "If you linked the weapons to him what's the holdup? Why haven't you arrested him yet?"

"Believe me, we've tried but he always manages to stay one step ahead." Draper shook his head and met Jack's eyes. "Each time we get close he manages to slip through our fingers, erasing any trace of himself in connection to the sales."

"No offense but maybe you do need us," Jack replied, his voice cool. "I think he's connected to Dian Grebo's disappearance. We could make a good arrest…"

"No," Draper replied, shaking his head. "I promise you, if he can come out squeaky clean in regards to the illegal arms sales there's no way you can link him to the disappearance of some bouncer. You'd be wasting your time and, worse, compromising my investigation. Stay away from Risto and Sanya." He turned and started walking down the hallway quickly adding, "Back off, Jack."

To Danny's surprise, Jack worked his jaw but remained silent. Unsure what to do next, Danny looked back inside the empty interview room, cleared his throat and said, "You know, he said to back off from Risto and Sanya but he didn't say we couldn't talk to Ivo."

The corners of Jack's mouth twitched but not quite smiling as he replied, "I like the way you think." He nodded and the two men began walking down the hallway. "But I think I'm going to take Elena with me to talk to Ivo."

"Why?" Danny asked as they entered the hallway. "I've already met him."

"That's why," Jack replied. "I think Risto and Sanya are too familiar with the two of us. I'd like to see what happens when I bring in someone new when talking with Ivo. Mix it up."

"All right," Danny replied, not quite convinced but not thinking it an issue worth pressing. He looked straight ahead in time to see Agent Jenkins standing with Sanya and Risto in front of the elevator, waiting for it to arrive. The couple was smiling at each other, looking immensely pleased with themselves. Sanya glanced over at him and winked. Under his breath he whispered, "I'm all for anything to wipe those smug smiles off their faces."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

XoXoXoXoX

"Hey," Martin greeted Danny as he walked into the bullpen. Danny looked up and saw that he was eating a donut and had some powdered sugar residue on his cheek.

Eyeing the sugary pastry, Danny asked, "Did you bring enough donuts for the whole class?"

Polishing off the donut and licking his fingers, Martin replied, "I thought about it but I know Viv is cutting back on her sugar, Elena and Sam are always 'watching what they eat,' and I thought you and Jack would still be tied up in the interviews with Risto and Sanya."

"Didn't work out the way we hoped," Danny replied, pointing to the powdered sugar on Martin's face. "You got some donut on your face by the way."

Martin grinned sheepishly and used the back of his hand to wipe off the smudge. Plopping himself down on the seat across from Danny, he asked, "So what happened?"

"JTTF came down ordering us to cut them loose," Danny replied in an annoyed tone as he clicked on the keys of his laptop to get his form processed for Sherman. He tried concentrating on filling out the blocks but his mind kept drifting to places where he could get a hold of donut. He was pretty sure that the accounting department kept some boxes in their break room. If he hurried he was certain he could stop by and get one on his way to drop the form off with Sherman.

"What do they have to do with any of this?"

Yanked from his donut daydream, Danny asked, "Huh"

Grinning, Martin asked again, "You said JTTF is involved and I asked what they have to do with the investigation?"

"Not totally sure yet but apparently they are working with ATF investigating Risto for arms dealing," Danny replied with a shrug, his eyes focused on the form. "Draper came up and basically ordered us to back off or else."

Martin nodded thoughtfully. "So if we're backing off what are you working on?"

"This is Jack, do you really think he would have us back off?" Vivian said as she walked into the bullpen carrying a small stack of file folders.

"I guess considering all that happened in the last year I thought he would..back off, that is," Martin replied, leaning back in his chair.

"You know Jack," she replied as Martin shifted over so she could sit down. "Once he gets his teeth into something he just shakes it until its dead."

His eyes narrowing in concern, Danny leaned forward. "Viv, you okay with this…after all that happened?" he quietly asked, suddenly realizing that she might take issue with Jack stepping on the toes of another investigation considering her own history with Jack.

She sighed with a knowing smile. "At least this time he's keeping us all in the loop so it's progress." She shook her head and added, "Besides, Draper can be a real horse's ass so anything to put him in his place is fine by me."

Martin chuckled softly and reached over, grabbing one of the folders. "So what's all this?"

Opening up a folder of her own, Vivian replied, "Any background information I could pull up on Ivo Komsic; his profile from Homeland Security after he was granted citizenship, credit check, information on old places of residences. It wasn't easy, this guy seems pretty squeaky clean."

"Ivo Komsic?" Martin repeated. "Risto's business partner?"

"One and the same," Danny replied, looking up to face Martin. "Jack wants us to finish up whatever we already have on Risto as well as start looking into Ivo."

"Why?" Martin asked, puzzled.

Danny proceeded to fill in all the details on his and Jack's ill-fated interview of Sanya, from the smoking to learning about Nina's pregnancy by Dian all the way to the interruption by Draper from JTTF. "So we're not going to go talk to Risto and Sanya directly but since he didn't mention anything about Ivo…" he trailed off, knowing that Martin got the gist. "Anyway, he and Elena went to go talk to him about a half-hour ago so he wants us to finish up anything we started on Risto and Sanya without attracting JTTF's attention as well as start digging up anything we can on Ivo."

Martin checked his watch. "Well, in that case, I should have Risto and Sanya's financials by now." He stood up, walked over to his desk and moved the mouse around, bringing his monitor to life.

A short while later, Danny finished typing up the form for Sherman and walked it downstairs three hours before Sherman's imposed deadline of 6:00 p.m. He even had time for a brief detour to the accounting offices only to find that they were participating in a 'Biggest Loser' challenge and the only food item resembling something sweet was a bowl of oranges. Disappointed, Danny dropped the form off to Sherman who looked displeased that he couldn't reprimand Danny for waiting until the last minute to get it to him. The look on Sherman's face at seeing Danny arrive so early almost made up for his not getting that donut.

When he came back upstairs he found Viv still reading through the files while Martin was intensely focused on his computer monitor.

Walking over to Martin's desk, he asked, "Alright, fess up, where did you get that donut?"

With his eyes still fixed on his computer screen, he replied, "Tech room. Lucy's brother works at a bakery." Danny smiled and started to turn towards the tech room when Martin added, "Don't bother, I took the last one."

Deflated, he scowled at Martin and sat on the end of his desk. "So where are you on Risto's financials?"

Shaking his head, Martin sighed and leaned back in his chair. "No where. I've been trying to open up the Cayman Island files H.S. sent over to me but my computer keeps freezing up."

Danny nodded. Pre-9/11 Cayman Island accounts were off limits but thanks to the Patriot Act, the bureau could now get limited access to balances, deposits and wire transfers but it all had to be done directly through Homeland Security.

Frustrated, Martin reached down and rebooted his computer. "You know what, this is useless. I'd get them faster just going down there myself." He stood up and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair. "I'll be back in about an hour."

"Do you want me to go with?"

"Nah," Martin replied, shrugging on his jacket. "No sense the both of us wasting our time."

Danny watched as Martin exited before heading back to the conference table. He sat down and looked over at Vivian. "Need any help?"

"Always," she replied with a smile, snapping the folder she had been reading shut. "But I'm all done and I didn't find anything that stands out. Not a parking ticket or even a late bill payment. I've been reading for the last hour and he's looks cleaner than Mother Theresa."

Danny smirked. "That just means you're not looking hard enough."

"Who's not looking hard enough?" Samantha asked as she breezed into the bullpen.

"You," he joked. "Where have you been? Slacking off in day care again?"

She laughed. "Hey, it's not easy being a Special Agent and mother. I've become another paranoid mother who insists on checking up on her only son whenever she can," she replied, before stopping in her tracks and shaking her head, still slightly surprised that those words were even able to come out of her mouth.

"How is David?" Vivian asked, glancing up from her reading.

"He's great. Getting bigger everyday," she replied with a proud smile before switching to special agent mode. She sat down next to Viv and grabbed one of the folders. "So what are we doing?"

"Nothing much apparently," Danny replied, motioning to Viv's folders as he updated Samantha on where they were on the case. "So I guess we just wait until Martin returns with financials or Jack calls after talking with Ivo."

"I don't know about that," Samantha replied as she stood up and walked up to Martin's desk just as his monitor lit up, indicating it was up and running again.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

Sam laughed. "Martin likes to think he is tech savvy but you should see him try to set his TiVo." She clicked a few keys and to Danny's surprise, she even knew Martin's password. "Okay, I'm in," she stared at the screen and moved the icon to click on the file, "I don't know what he was complaining about. It's working fine now."

"Just like going to a car mechanic," Viv quipped. "Your car rattles and shakes when you drive it but take it to the repair shop and it runs like new."

Sam nodded with a wide smile. "Well, I think I know why it was giving him problems. There are pages and pages to filter though." She clicked a few keys and said, "I think it will be faster if I print it up and we divide it between the three of us."

As soon as the pages were printed, they divvied them up and started to look for any repeating patterns. Danny read and cross listed for any irregularities but it seemed like a majority of Risto's transactions were on the up and up. Each time he noticed a large deposit, when he checked them against Risto's business records it was a perfect match. Vivian hadn't been kidding when she said that they kept their files looking squeaky clean.

He began to flip to the next page when he noticed Draper, Jenkins, and another agent he recognized from JTTF headed straight for them. He quickly shoved his stack to the side and quietly warned Sam and Viv, "Heads up."

Both women followed his lead and hid the pages under files.

"I'm looking for Fitzgerald," Draper announced as he neared; his tone low but urgent.

"He's out in the field," Danny replied, carefully placing his forearms over the pages he had been reading moments earlier. "He won't be back for a few hours," he lied. He knew Martin would be returning any moment but he wanted to buy some time to contact Jack and let him know that Draper knew they were still investigating Risto and Sanya.

Draper stared back at Danny for a beat, a calculating expression on his face when he turned to Jenkins and the other agent, pointed to Martin's computer and ordered, "Pack it all up."

Danny, Viv and Sam all shot up from their seats.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Viv asked as Jenkins began unplugging the wires from the back of Martin's CPU while the other agent opened Martin's drawers and began removing his files and notepads.

"I know that Risto Mistojovich's financials were downloaded to Agent Fitzgerald's computer," Draper replied, his eyes flicking back and forth between them and his own agents. "I thought I had made myself clear to Agent Malone that Risto is no longer his case but considering the new information I can understand his…zeal to keep his findings to himself."

"What are you talking about?" Danny growled, watching as Jenkin's pulled Martin's CPU out from under his desk. He shoved his seat back and stormed over to Martin's desk. "You can't touch that!"

Draper stepped in front of him and put his hand on Danny's chest, effectively blocking his path. "Cool it, Taylor. This is not personal: I'm just doing my job." He fixed his eyes on Danny's and coolly added, "I suggest you let me."

Fuming, Danny looked over at Samantha and Vivian. Both women were watching helplessly as Jenkins and the other agent carried off Martin's CPU and files. He decided it was futile to protest. If they were after the financials downloaded to Martin's computer they already had hardcopies.

He shot Draper a final chilly look before stepping back. "Fine."

Draper studied Danny for a beat, uncertain, before nodding and walking out of the bullpen. Danny followed him with his eyes and as soon as he was out of sight, he spun around on his heels and looked at Samantha and Viv. "We better find out what they are after fast. They're hustling and I want to know why."

Both women nodded at him and sat back down, pulling their stacks back out and reading them.

With her eyes on her files, Sam commented, "Well, Martin probably isn't going to mind that they took his computer. He's been complaining about it freezing up on him for years now." She shuffled the sheets around and finished, "Maybe now Jack can get him the new computer he's been wanting."

Danny chuckled softly, glad that Samantha was trying to make light of a tense situation.

"I think I have something," Vivian announced. "In June, September and November there are wire transfers for fifty thousand moving from Risto's Cayman account to a money market account at Chase Bank." She turned the pages around to show them to Samantha and Danny.

"Are you sure the account doesn't belong to Risto or Sanya?" Samantha asked.

"Not according to our records but there's one way to find out," she replied, standing up and crossing to her desk. She picked up her telephone and into the receiver she said, "Special Agent Vivian Johnson calling for Mike Daniels." She paused, on hold and then began speaking again, "Hello, Mike. Listen I need your help. You know all those bank records you provided for me earlier? Yeah, well I need you to give me the name on another account." Danny listened as Vivian rattled off the account number, excited that they may have found a new lead when he noticed Vivian's expression fall as she said, "Are you sure you have the right name? Just double check." She lowered her eyes and turned around so that Danny couldn't see her face anymore. "What's the mailing address and phone number on the account? Um, no, I'll let you know, thanks."

Danny watched as Vivian hung up the phone but still hadn't turned around yet. He turned and shared a look with Sam, who seemed as concerned as he felt by Vivian's odd behavior.

"Viv, everything all right?" he asked, standing up and walking over to where she stood.

She turned and looked up at him, a worried expression on her face. "No, no it's not. I think I know what Draper was after."

"What is it, Viv?" Samantha asked, concerned.

Watching as Viv hesitated, looking pained by whatever information she had learned, Danny leaned forward and urged, "Just say it. Whose name is on the account?"

Viv bit her lip, sighed heavily and breathed, "He said the name on the account was Martin Fitzgerald."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

XoXoXoXoX

Seismic.

That was the effect that Viv's revelation had on the entire team. Discovering that money was being transferred from Risto's account to one owned by Martin set off a chain of events beginning with Viv's words, traveling down the hallway and moving throughout the entire bureau; and at the epicenter of it all was Martin.

As soon as Vivian told them what she learned, they tried to reach Martin by phone, each hoping there was some logical explanation but they were too late. While they were busy tracking the money to try and uncover what information JTTF had been after, Martin had already returned to the bureau. As soon as he had entered the building he was relieved of his weapon and badge and escorted by two JTTF agents to an interview room where he was now meeting with Van Doren and Olcyzk.

The moment word reached them they hustled down the hallway, along with every other agent in the building. News of an agent accused of any crime would send the FBI into a tizzy but when the agent in question was Martin Fitzgerald, son of the Deputy Director, it was bigger than a celebrity arrest.

"I don't know anything yet," Viv said to Jack into her cell phone as she walked down the hallway behind Danny, updating him on everything they knew so far. As they neared the interview rooms, the hallway was filled with agents each bucking for a view. Danny brushed his way past them, breaking a path for Samantha and Vivian to follow. As he neared he spotted Jenkins and another agent holding guard at the hallway entrance. Behind him he heard Viv on her phone. "I can't get through, Jack. Draper has his agents manning the hallway and I don't think that they will let anyone pass."

Danny stared straight down the hallway, his pulse racing and mind spinning wondering what was going on in the interview room. He was desperate to know what exactly Martin was telling them. What possible reason could he provide on why his name was on an account that Risto was making deposits? What was going on? He wished he could talk to Martin; hear the truth directly from his friend. But he couldn't deny he was also worried what the truth would be. His heart pumping so fast he could hear the beats, he almost missed the conversation beside him.

"What do you think he did?" he heard an agent to his right ask the woman beside him.

"I heard he stole money from evidence. Deputy Director Daddy must be pissed," she eagerly replied when a few other agents tossed in their guesses, ranging from Martin illegally looking up information on an ex-girlfriend to using his computer to search for porn all the way to tampering with evidence in order to get a conviction.

Unable to bear it a moment longer, knowing that this was how gossip and rumors began and hating the way they were talking about his friend, Danny turned to face them all down, shooting them steely glares. They all shrunk back and quieted down.

"We'll be here," Viv said before sliding her phone off, clutching it in her hand. With her eyes focused on the hallway she leaned in towards Danny and Samantha and whispered, "Jack and Elena are on their way back."

He nodded when Van Doren and Olcyzk emerged, each with an intense look of concentration on their faces. Van Doren stepped quickly to the elevator and pressed the call button, whispering something to Olcyzk. He nodded and stepped aside so she could board.

As soon as she was gone, Olcyzk glanced around at all the lingering agents and growled, "Get back to work!" The agents scattered back to their respective offices at hearing his harsh shout. He spotted the three of them, an unreadable expression on his face as he stepped up to where they stood. "Where's Jack?"

"He's on his way," Vivian evenly replied.

"When he gets here tell him I want to see him in my office ASAP," he said, curtly. He gave them all an evaluating look before starting to step away.

Danny cleared his throat and asked, "What about Martin?"

Olcyzk clenched his jaw and replied, "Agent Fitzgerald is on administrative leave pending a full investigation."

"So he's not under arrest?" Sam asked with worried eyes.

Olcyzk took a deep breath. "Not yet." Leaving his ominous words hanging, he turned and walked down the hallway towards the interview rooms.

Danny worked his jaw and looked over at Samantha and Viv. "What now?"

Viv stared in the direction that Olcyzk disappeared and quietly responded, "You stay here and see if you can get in to see Martin." She turned to Samantha and said, "We need to go back and see exactly what information JTTF has against Martin. Jack's going to ask a lot of questions when he gets back and I'd like for us to have some answers."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, okay."

Viv looked up at Danny, mustering an encouraging smile before walking down the hall back towards the bullpen.

Samantha hesitated, not following Vivian right away but lingering behind. Laying her hand on his arm, she stepped close to Danny and shakily said, "You call me the minute you know anything."

He tried to force a smile on his face but for the first time in his life he couldn't even manage a joke or lie to pretend everything was fine. Instead, he nodded solemnly and breathed, "You got it."

They shared a worried look before she walked away. He followed her with his eyes before shifting his attention back towards the hallway. He folded his arms and looked down the hallway, mentally willing Martin to emerge so he could talk to him but he was only rewarded by Jenkins' icy stare. Knowing that he was going to be standing there for some time, he leaned back against the wall to wait.

XoX

_With his elbow resting on the door and his chin propped up by his fist, Danny stared out the car window as Martin drove him to Rafi and Sylvia's apartment. All day he had insisted on driving everywhere they went, convinced that with him at the helm they would get there faster because he was the one who wanted to find his brother most. But now, with his brother found and currently being processed by NYPD he could give up some control, let someone else take the wheel. _

_His gaze was fixed on the cityscape but he wasn't really seeing. He was too weary and too heartbroken to concentrate on anything other than what he would have to tell Sylvia. He wished he was on his way to give her good news; tell her that he found Rafi and he was fine. But instead, he was going to have to tell her that not only did Rafi relapse but he also got mixed up in drug smuggling. He wondered how he could possibly tell a seven-month pregnant woman that her fiancée and father to her children was going back to prison. That the life she and Rafi had carefully rebuilt was shattering once again. _

"_It's not your fault," Martin whispered from the driver's seat._

_Not bothering to look over he quietly replied, "I know it's not. Rafi's a grown man and he made his choices."_

"_Then why are you still acting like it's your burden to carry?"_

"_Because it is. If I had visited him more or at least taken all his calls…I should've been there for him…" he paused, pained with the realization of all the time he had wasted pushing his brother away. "I should have known that he was going to mess up but I kept my eyes closed to everything because I didn't want to deal with him." He sighed guiltily, remembering his confession to Vivian earlier that day, '__there's a part of me that just wants to cut Rafi off and-and walk away from him, because the closer that I get to him, the more I realize that I am just one wrong step away from being where I used to be.' Knowing that at this moment Rafi was being processed by NYPD and how desperately he wanted a drink made him wonder just how true that statement was. He was so lost in his morose mood that he almost missed the sound of __Martin chuckling softly beside him. Danny shot him a dirty look. "You think that's funny?"_

_Martin shook his head, humorlessly. "Not funny, ironic." _

"_What do you mean?"_

_Martin adjusted his hands on the steering wheel and glanced over at him. "I've been working with you for close to three years and I have heard you tell more than one person that they couldn't blame themselves for decisions that someone else makes."_

"_This is my brother we're talking about," Danny bitterly replied. "This isn't just some case we're working. This is mi hermano, mi familia. You don't know him or what we went through growing up." _

"_You're right, I don't know," Martin said, returning his attention to the road. "But I know you. And the Danny I know would tell me that you cannot predict the future, you can only deal with the here and now." _

_Danny shook his head. "This is different." _

"_Yeah, it's more personal because it's your family," Martin replied, slowing the car to a stop in front of Rafi and Sylvia's apartment building. "But just because it's personal doesn't make it any less true." He put the SUV in park and looked over at him. "So instead of blaming yourself for what he did and what happened, maybe you should focus on what you can do, like helping Sylvia and Nicky." _

"_You don't think I know that? You don't think I'm going to do be there for them?" Danny replied, clearly on the defensive._

"_I know you are but," he paused, searching for the right words. "My aunt Bonnie used to say that you can't help someone else when you're too busy blaming yourself for things you couldn't control," Martin breathed, resting his hand on the steering wheel. "He's your brother, not your responsibility. Stop punishing yourself and just be there for him, for them." _

_Danny lowered his head, knowing that Martin was only telling him what he already knew but needed to hear from someone else. He reached over and opened the car door, saying, "Wait here." _

"_Sure," Martin replied, shutting off the ignition. _

_Danny stepped out and started to close the car door before pausing, holding the door slightly ajar he leaned inside and softly said, "Thank you."_

_Martin nodded and gave a small smile. "I'll be right here."_

XoX

It was the sound of footsteps that dragged Danny from his memory. He looked over in time to see Olcyzk exiting the interview room with Agent Draper and Martin in tow. Martin didn't see him, too preoccupied listening to something Olcyzk was saying as he shrugged on his jacket.

He watched as Olcyzk sternly said something to Martin who just nodded slowly and stepped away, doing his best to ignore the bitter glares of Draper, Jenkins, and the other agents lingering in the hallway, pretending to look busy. When Martin started to the elevator he finally noticed Danny's presence. Their eyes met in a questioning silence when Martin suddenly averted his gaze, hurriedly walking over to the elevator and pressing the call button.

Undeterred, Danny stood up straight and joined him in front of the elevator. "Hey," he greeted him, searching his face for any sign…of what, he wasn't sure.

Martin worked his jaw and kept his gaze fixed on the elevator doors. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied, tilting his head to try and get Martin to look him in the eye. If Martin was going to lie, he wanted him to do it to his face.

Martin looked at him quickly before turning his head and glancing around at the other agents, their eyes prying and curious. "You know how it is with administrative leave," he replied when the elevator dinged, announcing its arrival, "I'm not supposed to discuss…"

"Cut the crap, Martin," Danny said as the elevator doors slid open and Martin scrambled to board. "This is me you're talking to."

Martin sighed heavily and pressed the button for the parking garage. "What do you want me to say?"

The doors started to close so Danny reached over and placed the palm of his hand on the inside of the door, preventing them from shutting. "I want you to tell me what in the hell you are involved in."

Reaching over and shoving away Danny's hand, Martin replied, "And I told you I can't talk about it."

Danny's hand fell away but he was not about to let Martin off the hook so easily. Just as the doors started to shut he stepped aboard and soon it was just the two of them alone together in an enclosed space saturated in tension. Martin stepped back so he was leaning against the elevator wall but he remained quiet, looking everywhere except directly at Danny.

Trying another tactic, Danny took a deep breath and said, "Martin, I can't help you if you don't tell me what the hell is going on."

Licking his lips, Martin lifted his chin and defiantly replied, "I appreciate the offer but its fine. I don't need your help. Like I told Olcyzk and Van Doren, this is just some big misunderstanding. There's nothing to worry about."

"Your name was on the fucking account!" Danny snapped back, infuriated by Martin's entirely too calm and cavalier attitude. "They have records of money being transferred," he paused, lowering his voice suddenly worried that someone might hear them talking through the elevator shaft, "Money from Risto's account to an account with your name. It's almost one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Where's the misunderstanding? What aren't we seeing?"

Martin worked his jaw, stared back, and quietly replied, "I need you to trust me on this, Danny. It's a mistake."

"Then trust me and tell me what's going on," Danny replied, trying to sound calmer than he felt.

"I can't…"

"God damn it," Danny spat, his façade of self-restraint crumbling. "You want me to trust you but you can't trust me, is that it?" he protested as he searched his face for any clue as to what Martin meant. "Huh? Is that it?"

"I trust you but this doesn't involve you so don't take it so personally," Martin argued, his tone edgy and tense.

"Don't take it personally?" Danny repeated, stunned. "You're my friend and we're on the same team. I'm taking it personally, Sam's going to take it personally and so will Viv and Jack and Elena." He spread his arms and angrily shouted, "Whatever happens to you or anyone else on the team, we take personally."

Martin lowered his eyes and rubbed his hand over his face. "I know. I know that," he looked up and met Danny's eyes, "And I promise you that whatever happens, it won't affect the team…"

"Christ! How can you say that to me again?" he shouted back, remembering that Martin used almost the exact same phrase when he denied being an addict. "After everything Sam and I went through with you and what all of us went through with Jack, how can you seriously tell me that what happens to one of us doesn't affect all of us?" He pointed his index finger at Martin and bitterly growled, "How dare you say that?"

Martin worked his jaw and looked back at Danny when a flicker of anger crossed his face. "Back off, Danny, and let me deal with it. This has nothing to do with what's happened in the past."

The elevator came to a stop on the parking level and the doors started to open but Danny moved over, stepping in front of Martin, blocking his path. "Don't walk out of this elevator without telling me what's going on," he warned before taking a deep breath and evenly finishing, "Because if you do, I am going to go back upstairs and finish working this case. And if that means I find something that incriminates you then…" He paused and evenly finished, "This is your only chance, Martin. Tell me what's going on."

Martin stepped up, fixing his gaze on Danny. "You do whatever you need to do."

Danny stared back at Martin at a loss for words. He knew that there was nothing more to say, both men resolved and firm in their positions. Knowing that Martin wasn't going to change his mind, he stepped aside and let Martin pass.

He lowered his head and stepped to the center of the elevator, pressing the button for the twelfth floor. As the doors started to close, he looked up in time to see Martin opening his car door, looking back over at him just as the elevator doors shut.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: I want to give a big thank you and shout out to Anmodo for all her help on this chapter. She really helped make it more cohesive and she even let me use some of her words in certain parts. Thank you!! And a big thanks to all you for reading my fic and even more so for taking the time to post a review. I know this site doesn't exactly make it easy so I truly appreciate it. Thank you so much!


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

XoXoXoXoX

Still fuming from his confrontation with Martin, Danny returned to the bullpen and updated Vivian and Samantha on everything Martin didn't tell him. Both women continued giving Martin the benefit of the doubt but he was still too angry and hurt to even think about anything other than how betrayed he felt. Jack called again and they updated him on what little information Danny was able to get from Martin. He said that as soon as he returned to the office he would go see Olyzck and get more details.

After they hung up, Danny excused himself to go get a cup of coffee, leaving Vivian and Samantha to continue working on gathering any information they could about Martin's situation. He knew they wouldn't get very far, per bureau protocol Martin's FBI dossier was sealed as 'Confidential' while he was under investigation. Any information about him would have to be filtered through Draper and JTTF. This included his personal bank records, credit history, phone bills, and anything they could have used to help them decipher what Martin was doing. At this point their best bet was whatever information Jack would be able to get.

He walked into the break room to find three agents standing around gossiping about Martin but they broke apart at the sight of Danny, quickly exiting the room. He scowled at them as they hurried past him. As soon as they were gone he shook his head, frustrated that he still felt so defensive of Martin while simultaneously furious with the man.

He glanced at the coffee pot but the low growl in his stomach reminded him he hadn't eaten all day, which had only served to contribute more to his foul mood. Standing in front of the vending machine, his eyes fell on a package of Gem donuts. With his eyes on the sugary treat, he wondered how it all went to hell so quickly. Just a few hours ago he was in the bullpen joking with Martin about donuts and his primary concern was getting one. He didn't know why it still threw him; life having taught him long ago that everything can all go to shit in a split second. He sighed heavily, staring at the package when a dark, familiar craving danced across his tongue.

Shit.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, needing to overcome the urge to drink. He thought about calling his sponsor but he knew that he was in Baltimore visiting his grandkids. Besides, he would just tell him to do what he already knew: go to a meeting. But he couldn't leave now, the situation with Martin was too big for him to disappear for a few hours. Besides, he knew that he had to overcome the urge. He had overcome the desire before and he could do it again, having been entirely too familiar with the desire…

XoX

"_You alright?" Martin asked, falling into step beside him. "I've never seen you so anxious to get to a meeting before."_

"_Rough night," Danny replied, his eyes focused straight ahead. _

_Martin nodded slowly, putting his hands in his pants pockets. "Elena mentioned that you were concerned about that cop you interviewed. I guess that could remind you to keep on track."_

"_Yeah," Danny replied._

_After wrapping up the case with Rhonda and her brother, he felt a strong urge to get to a meeting. He didn't feel the desire to drink but seeing the way that Lou Chambers, the beat cop involved in the shooting, was dealing by downing six packs of beer reminded him how important working the program was to him and his life. It also reignited his own painful memory of how close he came to being Lou, conjuring up the memory of him almost shooting the little boy holding a squirt gun. _

_So now the two men were walking down the busy sidewalk on their way to a meeting at St. Michael's church. Danny carefully stepped around two teenage girls who were sauntering slowly, in no hurry to go nowhere. _

_As he walked, he kept his eyes trained on maneuvering through the crowd but his mind was elsewhere, his thoughts drifting to the memory of him pulling the gun on the little boy in the alleyway; the image flashing behind his eyes and his heart clenching under his ribcage. Seeing the detective today reminded him of how he had dealt with his own situation, and his had a much happier ending: his victim lived, Lou's did not._

_But at the time, he couldn't focus on the positive, the only thing he saw was how it could have gone: the boy could have died. He would have been killed and it would all have been Danny's fault. So that night, wanting a drink more desperately than he had in over a year, he called his sponsor, Andy. Andy told him to go to a meeting and they would talk afterwards. He hurried to the nearest meeting, the cold metal chair and stale coffee feeling more welcoming and needed than he had ever dreamed. When it was his turn to speak, he spoke in generalities, not willing to divulge too much about what he did for a living much less what happened on what almost was one of the worst days of his life. Afterwards, Andy took him to a local diner and bought him a cup of coffee. _

_It was there that he felt like he was an altar boy again, attending confession. It took a beat of time for the words to move from his heart to his mouth but when they did, they spilled out fast and furiously. He confessed to Andy what he had almost done. When he finished, his throat was tight and raw, tears stinging the edge of his eyes but refusing to fall. While the implication of what he had almost done weighed heavy on his heart and soul, he felt lighter for having been able to share it with someone else. _

_Andy tried to console Danny, convince him that it was all right, that he needed to forgive himself for something that in the end, had been okay. But Danny refused to listen, unable to let go of what he might have done when Andy's words cut through his guilt and hit home: "But you didn't kill him, Danny. So get off the goddamn cross. You have enough sins so don't go tacking on any more. You're going to need that space for the serious fuck ups in your future." _

_Thanks to Andy, he eventually learned to be thankful that his gun jammed up, that the fates or God or whoever, had protected him from doing something irreversible. He knew that he was deeply indebted to Andy, that on that night he didn't fall off he wagon and crawl back into the life he had worked so hard to overcome. _

_But contrary to his conversation with Andy that night, when he was talking to Elena he made a connection that had not occurred to him until now. His gun had jammed up only one other time in his career but the second time didn't have a happy ending. The night that Dornvald opened fire on him and Martin while they were transporting Adisa Teno, he had tried to fire back but his gun jammed. _

_And on that night, the consequence was irreversible: Martin had been shot. That night, Martin's shooting set off a series of events that Danny continued to feel culpable for to this day. While he was able to confess what happened with the kid to Elena, his guilt about that night Martin was shot was still too raw to talk about. _

_An old guilt melded with a newer one. _

_Danny stopped at the corner, glancing at the crosswalk sign to see it flashing a big red hand indicating 'Do Not Walk.' As he waited, he looked over at Martin, who was reading a billboard sign on the side of a bus, looking calm and relaxed. At that moment Danny made an internal vow to be there for his friend whenever he needed him no matter what. _

XoX

"Danny," Elena's voice drifted to his ears. He turned and looked over at the doorway to see her looking at him. "Jack wants us all in his office."

"Just a minute," he quickly uttered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of coins. He needed a minute to compose himself, get his head back in the game and far away from the guilty memory. With shaky fingers he inserted them into the coin slot, pressing B4 for the donuts. The package of six donuts dropped to the bin and he bent down to pull them out. When he stood up, Elena was by his side.

"Hey," she whispered, giving him a sad, soft smile. She reached up, cupping his face in her hand. He tilted his head, pressing his cheek into her warm, soft palm. "How are you doing?"

He sighed heavily. "He told me to trust him. I asked him what was going on and he just shrugged it off and told me to trust him, like it wasn't a big deal."

"This is Martin," she replied, her big brown eyes studying him tenderly. "Maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt."

"How Elena? How can I do that?" he asked, his frustration returning. "His name was on the account."

She moved her hand to his ear, caressing it with her fingers. She gently massaged his earlobe with the pads of her index finger and thumb. It was a trick he knew well, she often did it to comfort Sophie when she was anxious or scared. He didn't know where she had learned it but it was like an emotional reset button, always making him feel better. "You should trust him because you know he would trust you."

He stared back at her with sad eyes and nodded slowly.

Dropping her hand she took a step back and jerked her head towards the hall. "Come on, Jack's waiting."

As they neared Jack's office he saw that all the blinds were pulled shut. Normally the team enjoyed the open feel of the office but tonight he knew it would feel like they were sitting in a giant fishbowl, everyone's eyes on them trying to gauge their reaction to the accusations against Martin.

Elena went in ahead of him and sat down on the sofa next to Sam. Viv was sitting on a chair opposite of them. He looked around, each of their faces gloomier than the next. The tension in the room was thick it was like walking into a room with one hundred percent humidity. He didn't think he could sit so he walked past the other free chair to the wall, leaning back against the bookshelf.

Jack rubbed his hand over his jaw and with a hard, steady voice began, "If any of you know anything about Martin's situation, speak up now." He said it to the entire team but his eyes landed on Danny. "This is the time to say it."

"I've already told you everything I know," Danny replied defensively, looking at the rest of the team who were exchanging nervous glances, shaking their heads.

Jack stared them down for a beat as if performing a visual lie detector test before clearing his throat. "Okay." He sighed audibly and leaned back, propping himself up on the edge of his desk. "Everything I am about to tell you does not leave this room. No talking amongst yourselves at your desks, hallway, elevator… No where. Understood?"

"We understand, just tell us what's going on," Viv said, insistent and edgy.

Danny nodded in agreement, stealing his nerves for whatever Jack might have to say.

Jack licked his lips and breathed, "Martin is under investigation for money laundering."

Viv gasped. "Money laundering?"

"What exactly did he tell Van Doren and Olcyzk?" Sam asked with her gaze fixed on Jack.

Clasping his hands in front of him, Jack replied, "He said he invested money in Risto's club and the money that was transferred were his dividends paying out."

Danny scoffed. "That was his excuse?"

Sam lowered her head, resting it in her hands. "I can't believe this…"

"If he is lying, that is a horrible excuse," Elena argued, a look of stunned disbelief crossing her face.

"This is Martin," Viv replied, shaking her head and looking as angry as Danny felt. "Worst poker player ever. He's a terrible liar."

Dropping her hands, Sam glared at Viv. "You think he's lying?"

"You think he isn't?" Viv replied, looking taken aback.

"Enough," Jack growled, until everyone settled down. "That's not all. He is also being investigated for treason."

"Treason?" Danny replied in disbelief.

"How? Why?" Sam asked, shocked.

"They think he was selling intel," Jack replied, folding his arms over his chest. "They think that his supposed 'dividends' are actually his payment for providing Risto with information."

Viv shot up from her seat and paced the small space by the door. "How is any of this possible?"

Jack looked much cooler than they did. Of course, he was the one dropping the bombshells. He had already had a little bit of time to process the information. "Draper said that JTTF has been on the cusp of making a good arrest on Risto for almost a year but whenever they were ready to move in he managed to slip away or change up." He lowered his arms, gripping the edge of the wooden desk. "He always manages to stay two steps ahead," he paused and finished, "Almost like he has someone on the inside tipping him off."

"That doesn't make any sense," Sam argued, wringing her hands together. "Martin doesn't work JTTF. How would he have intel on the investigation?"

"He spends a lot of time hanging out with Jenkins," Jack commented, casting Danny a furtive look. "He'd be able to find out information under the guise of casual conversation."

Danny wanted to argue that Jack's logic was flawed, that there was no way Martin would be capable of doing something like that but he knew that the argument would sound weak even to his own ears.

"No wonder he looked so pissed off," Viv commented from where she was burning a hole in Jack's carpet.

Shaking her head, Elena glanced at Danny. "This makes no sense."

"You don't think…" Sam began, swallowing as she looked at Danny. "Do you think he's using again? Maybe he needs the money or connections for painkillers."

"_No_," he replied without hesitation, shaking his head. Of this and this alone he would not be dissuaded. "He goes to the meetings and he doesn't seem off," Danny explained, remembering the telltale signs he'd seen when he discovered Martin was using.

"But it is a possibility," Viv softly commented.

"_No_," Danny adamantly replied. "I can't explain the rest of this stuff but he's working the program and the signs aren't there. He's clean."

"Danny, we need to consider all possibilities," Elena carefully said.

"No," he bounced back once again. "Besides, if the accusations had any merit there is no way Draper would have just let Martin walk out of here. He would have placed him under arrest or at the very least, kept him in the interview room for a few hours."

"Martin's dad is the Deputy Director," Vivian argued. "Even if they are building a case they will slow walk it just to cover their asses until they have enough evidence."

Danny stared darkly at Viv, wishing he could come up with a solid argument but he knew that she was right.

Changing the subject, Sam turned to look back at Jack. "So what do we do now?"

Jack worked his jaw and replied, "Officially we're ordered to stay out of OPR's way."

"And unofficially?" Danny asked.

"I'm not sure yet." He hopped off the edge of the desk and said, "But the first thing is we have to go talk to Martin."

"I already tried, Jack," Danny replied, shaking his head. "He clammed up."

"Well, let's try again," Jack said as he walked to his door. "Get your stuff, Danny, and we can head out."

Sam stood up and rested her hands low on her hips as she, said, insistent, "I'm going, too."

Jack shook his head, a firm resolute expression on his face. "No, I don't want him to feel like we're ganging up on him."

"You can't expect us to just sit by," Sam argued. "We need to be doing something. You can't expect us to just sit here."

"We do what we always do," Viv interjected, glancing at Jack. "Keep a united front and protect our own. Right now, that's enough."

Jack shared a soft, understanding look with Viv before he nodded his head and opened his door, exiting his office.

The elevator ride to the parking garage was quiet and the car ride even quieter. Needing a break from the silence and his thoughts, Danny flicked on the radio but the music assaulted his eardrums, sounding like gibberish and hurting his ears. He clicked it off and just stared out the car window, wondering what his next conversation with Martin would reveal now that he was armed with this new information.

They arrived at Martin's building and shared another silent elevator ride up to Martin's apartment. They exited the elevator and Danny waited for Jack to exit first when Jack said he didn't know which apartment was Martin's, never having been there before.

Danny nodded and led the way. He came to a stop in front of Martin's door where he could hear the sounds of the TV through the dark wood. He knocked on the door and squared his shoulders, waiting for Martin to answer.

But there was no answer.

This time Jack knocked, harder and louder this time. "Martin, its Jack and Danny, we need to talk."

Once again, there was no answer.

Angry that Martin was willfully ignoring them, Danny rapped on the door with an insistent fist. "Damn it, Martin. Open the," he reached for the doorknob to rattle it, to show how serious he was when the knob turned and the door fell open, "door."

Danny pressed his hand to the wood and pushed it the rest of the way so he could look inside. "Martin?"

The TV was on, a basketball game on the screen, but there was no sign of Martin. With a racing heart, he entered the apartment ahead of Jack and looked around. The apartment seemed orderly and clean, a far cry from how it looked when Martin was using. This gave him the smallest consolation.

He watched as Jack headed into the kitchen to look around so he turned and headed into the bedroom.

"Martin?" he softly said as he walked into the room.

The sight that greeted him made his stomach drop: the dresser drawers were pulled open, the closet door was ajar and there were clothes strewn about on the top of the bed and chair as if someone had packed in a hurry.

He heard Jack enter the room behind him. He turned around to meet the man's eyes, sharing an unspoken agreement on what the scene before them meant: Martin was running.

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A/N: Big, BIG thanks to Anmodo for helping steer this chapter back on course and making sure I keep true to the characters. And big thanks to all of you for your very kind reviews. I appreciate your patience, too. I'm sure if The Nagging Cube knew where I lived she would be poking me with sticks to just hurry and write but I appreciate her efforts to hang in there. LOL. Thanks again!


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

XoXoXoXoX

"Samantha's on her way," Jack announced as he pocketed his cell phone. He sighed audibly and scanned Martin's disheveled bedroom before fixing his gaze on Danny. "I don't know how soon Draper is going to find out about Martin's disappearing act so we need to be quick. Pack up anything you think may help us figure out where he is. I'm going to look around the rest of the apartment."

Standing at the dresser going through Martin's drawers, Danny nodded as he watched Jack exit bedroom.

Returning his attention to the task at hand, Danny slammed the drawer shut thinking the odds were low that Martin's sock drawer would reveal any important clues. He went through the rest of the drawers but deeming the bureau useless, he wandered over to the one of the two nightstands. He figured this was the one that got more use because on top sat an alarm clock, a lamp, some loose coin totaling sixty-four cents, a tube of Chapstick, and a book, "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life."

With an ironic smile on his lips, he picked up the book and flipped through the pages wondering how someone who would be reading a book about one of the greatest patriotic figures in American history could possibly be accused of treason. He set the book back down and pulled the top drawer open, studying the contents inside. There was a box of condoms, a pack of gum, a handful of NA keytags ranging from one day to two years, some crumpled up receipts and a digital camera. He picked up the box of condoms and read that it was a twelve pack but when he looked there were only two left inside. Danny decided that, at the very least, Martin was telling him the truth about one thing: he was definitely doing some dating. He dropped the box back in the drawer and picked up the receipts.

The first was from Duane Reade for the box of condoms and the chapstick. Danny checked the date and saw that Martin purchased them a little over two weeks ago. The other receipts were for take-out, his dry cleaning, a rather pricey purchase at Magnolia Bakery, and a movie stub. He stuck them in his pocket, deciding that they would help establish a time frame if they needed it. He picked up the camera but when he checked the memory card was gone. Disappointed he set the camera back down and wandered over to the bathroom.

He opened up the medicine cabinet but there wasn't anything unusual: shaving cream, toothpaste, mouthwash, face cleanser, a box of Band-Aids, Neosporin, and a bottle of ibuprofen. He shut the cabinet, frustrated, and braced his hands on the sides of the sink, staring at his reflection in the mirror wishing he knew what kind of trouble Martin had gotten himself into. He considered Martin one of his best friends. He thought they could tell each other just about anything, whether they wanted to hear it or not.

XoX

"_Really?" Martin asked, lowering the file folder he had been reading. He glanced conspiratorially around the office before leaning in and whispering, "You and Elena?"_

_Danny grinned. He found that he had been doing that a lot since he and Elena first kissed and even more so since those kisses had been occurring a lot more frequently over the last couple of weeks. He was just happy that Elena finally agreed that it was okay to let the rest of the team know that they were dating now. _

_He picked up his coffee, watching Martin's stunned expression morph from surprise to something he didn't quite recognize. He set his cup down and asked, "What?"_

_Martin shook his head and lowered his gaze, focusing back on the file. "Nothing."_

_Frowning, Danny asked, "What is it?" _

"_It's nothing, forget it."_

_Danny blew a frustrated breath. "Does this have something to do with you and Sam?" He leaned forward, trying to get Martin to look at him. "You think this is a bad idea, don't you?" he asked quietly._

_Finally looking up, Martin replied, "No, that's not it."_

"_Than what the hell is it?"_

_Martin glanced away, sighing heavily before turning to face Danny again. "Just do me a favor: do it for real."_

"_What do you mean?" he asked, confused by Martin's comment. "You don't think you and Sam did it for real?"_

"_Sam and I…" Martin began before pausing, licking his lips as he searched for the right words. He sighed and carefully said, "The situation between Sam and me was complicated for a lot of different reasons." A flicker of hurt crossed his face. "But when you date a co-worker you have to be careful because dating, any kind of dating, changes things."_

"_But you and Sam can still work together," Danny replied, wrapping his hands around his coffee mug and tilting his head to the side. "It didn't work out but you're still friends in spite of it all." _

_Martin's jaw tightened. "No, Danny we're not."_

_Danny furrowed his brow. "What does that mean? She helped you, man. She was the one who confronted you about the painkillers. She still cares."_

_Martin's shoulders slumped as he nodded. "Okay, I know that when it comes to the big things we look out for one another. We do." He straightened up his posture and looked pointedly at Danny. "But you lose the little stuff, it's gone. Things like casually talking about your life, you history, problems you're having – the real parts - that's the stuff that gets ruined." He sighed and breathed out, "Or at least it's never the same."_

_Danny worked his jaw. "So you're telling me to not go for it. It's not worth it?"_

"_No, that's not it," Martin replied, shaking his head. "Just be real, be honest with yourself and her on what you both want before it's too late to go back. This team can't take any more broken relationships."_

"_Any more? That's a little dramatic," Danny joked, trying to make light of a conversation that suddenly turned very serious. "We only have one broken relationship on the team. I think we'll survive."_

_Martin gave him a hard look before lowering his eyes and returning his attention to his file. "Just trust me on this."_

_Danny watched him for a beat before at last he said, "Don't worry, I get what you're telling me." Martin looked up at him, unsure. "Really, I do. I know how serious I am about this. I wouldn't take the risk of crossing Carlos, compromising the team, or most of all – becoming a part of Sophie's life, if I didn't think this thing with Elena could go somewhere."_

_Martin gave him an evaluating look before grinning widely. "That's good, because I really do wish you the best man. Someone's personal life on this team, besides Viv, has to succeed."_

XoX

And just as Danny was supportive of Martin's relationship with Samantha, Martin was supportive of his relationship with Elena; which is probably why he felt the most betrayed on the team. He foolishly thought that they were closer than rest, only to find out that he didn't really know Martin at all.

Sighing heavily, Danny shook his head and headed to the living room to see what information Jack was able to gather.

He found Jack sitting on the sofa, reading some sort of statement with a pile of Martin's mail beside him.

"Didn't anyone tell you that opening someone else's mail was a federal offense?" Danny tried to joke.

Ignoring his lame attempt at humor, Jack glanced over at Danny and said, "I thought you said that Martin's was doing a lot of dating."

"He is," Danny replied, walking over to the sofa. He didn't sit down but stood on the other side of the coffee table, looking down at Jack. "And judging by the almost empty box of condoms in his bedroom, he is having a good time doing it."

Jack gave him a puzzled look. "You ever meet any of these women?"

"Why?" Danny asked, confused.

Jack held up the piece of paper he had been reading and Danny saw that it was Martin's cell phone bill. "Because according to his phone records, he never called anyone but work, the team, a few calls to his family but that's it." He handed the sheets of paper to Danny. "It looks like he has less of a social life than I do – and that's saying something."

Danny stared at the cell phone bill and sure enough, there was no sign of any women in Martin's life. No phone calls to anyone with any regularity much less women. "I don't understand. He told me about them, their names, what they looked like." He shook his head and looked over at Jack. "He said Celia had brown hair and liked foreign films, Amy had a yippy little dog, Olivia's roommate was an angry feminist… I know he couldn't just make it all up."

"How do you know?" Jack asked; his tone hard and bitter as he angrily shook his head. "How can you be sure anything about Martin is true right now?"

Danny shrugged, wondering the same thing. He realized that the rest of the team had to be feeling as betrayed as he did. It wasn't easy learning that your friend may have been lying to you and you never once suspected.

"Hello?" Sam's voice asked with a soft knock on the door.

Danny looked over and saw her hovering in the threshold. Clearing his throat he said, "Hey."

Samantha walked into the living room, a questioning look on her face. "What's going on?" She scanned the apartment, scrutinizing the room before he eyes landed on Jack. "You said to get here right away but not to tell anyone…why?" Her eyes darted between Jack and Danny. "Where's Martin?"

Frowning, Danny replied. "Martin's gone."

"Gone?" she asked, panicked, as she stepped up to him. "What do mean he's gone?"

Folding up the statement, he replied, "Packed a bag and took off – gone."

She shook her head, her eyes darting around the room as if she could will Martin to suddenly appear. "Gone where?"

"We're hoping you could help us find out," Jack replied, standing up and walking to where they stood. He glanced around the apartment before focusing on Samantha. "Anything look out of place or unusual?"

"What?" she softly asked.

"You've been here more than anyone," Jack coolly replied, waving his hand around. "I thought maybe you could help us determine if it does look like he is running like he's never coming back," he shoved his hands in his pockets, "Or if he's just scared and laying low."

Samantha shared a look with Jack and nodded. Danny knew it was typical Samantha behavior to need a moment to process shocking news before switching gears. She shook her head and he could almost see her thoughts shake themselves right and land in their appropriate place.

"Um," she mumbled as she tucked some hair behind her ears and looked around, unsure. She stepped back and walked around slowly before she stopped short and glanced between Jack and Danny. "What about his safe?"

"Safe?" Danny asked.

"He has a small safe in his bedroom," she replied, hurrying to Martin's bedroom. Danny and Jack rushed in behind her in time to see her swinging open the closet door. She shoved a stack of shoe boxes to the side, revealing a small safe.

"Why the hell does Martin own a safe?" Jack asked with a quizzical look.

With her eyes on the keypad, Sam replied, "His father gave it to him when he moved to New York." She ran her fingertips over the keypad. "Said it was just a safety measure."

"Do you know the combination?" Jack asked, folding his arms.

She shrugged. "I might." She entered a code and tried turning the handle but it wouldn't budge. "Okay, that didn't work," she said, deflated, before entering a new code. "Let me try another one."

"Do you know what Martin keeps in there?" Danny asked, watching as Sam's second attempt also failed.

She sat back, staring at the buttons on the keypad and considering. "Um, his private weapon, a 9mm. His passport, some cash, stock certificates, and his grandfather's old pocket watch." She leaned in and entered another code. This time they heard the unmistakable clicking sound as it unlocked. With a bemused smile on her face, as if she was in on a joke only she understood, she pulled the door open.

Danny stepped around, looking over Sam's shoulder into the safe. It was empty except for a small folded note. Sam reached in and pulled it out. As she read it, a pained expression crossed her face.

"Sam?" Jack asked.

Sam stood up, handed it to Jack and looking visibly upset, she brushed past Danny and exited the bedroom. He followed her with his eyes before looking back at Jack and asking, "What's it say?"

Jack's jaw tightened as he held it up for Danny to read.

Danny stared at the note thinking that the hits just kept on coming and this time this one hit him hard…really hard. He grabbed the note from Jack's hand, staring at it in disbelief.

Because there, written in Martin's own hand, was scribbled: _I'm sorry_.

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A/N: Big thanks once again to Anmodo. She adds just the right flavor to make a sentence and this story so much better. Thank you, thank you.

Thank you all for you super kind reviews. Although I feel compelled to mention to Stephell she is not allowed to pester me about updating. I'll take it from The Nagging Cube because, well, it's right there in her name, she's a nag. ;-) But you, Laurel, are the sole reason I have been distracted from my writing. You introduced me to _Supernatural_ and now my mind keeps drifting away from Danny Taylor and Martin Fitzgerald to Dean and Sam Winchester. But I'm doing my best to reset my mind back to WAT – at least until this fic is complete.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

XoXoXoXoX

"I'm sorry."

That's what Martin last missive to the team said, "I'm sorry."

Danny was so angry that he thought he really could see nothing but red. He wanted to find Martin, punch him in the face and ask just what in the hell he was sorry about? Lying? Stealing? Pretending to be someone other than who they thought he was? For leaving the team in a lurch to clean up the mess he left behind? What was it he was sorry for most? Betraying them, the bureau, everyone who knew and loved him only to discover he wasn't the man they thought he was? Or was he only sorry that he was caught?

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Danny also thought it was fortunate that Martin wasn't around because he would show him what he could do with his "I'm sorry." Relaxing his hands, Danny took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on his work. He carefully unfolded Martin's American Express credit card statement to begin searching for any signs of what sort of activities he had been up to over the last few months.

After leaving Martin's apartment, Jack and Samantha headed to Long Island to talk to his cousins to see if they had any idea where he might have gone and sent Danny back with all of Martin's mail and whatever else they thought might be useful in tracking him down. So while Elena went to go talk to Martin's accountant, Danny and Vivian were tasked with conducting a background check.

He and Viv called every airline, train station, bus terminal and any other possible route they could track without actually putting out an APB. However, if he was traveling he was staying under the radar. They finally put Lucy to work tracking down Martin's Jeep, discreetly and off the record of course. While Martin had a GPS unit installed, it had been turned off so it was going to take time for Lucy to triangulate where he might have headed based on where and when he turned it off. He knew they were on borrowed time, that as soon as Draper realized Martin had pulled a Houdini he was going to have every police agency available work on tracking Martin down. Danny just prayed that the team would find him first so they could find out what was going on and talk some sense into him.

He set the first page of the statement aside and watched from across the conference table as Vivian skewered another piece of Martin's mail with her dagger shaped letter opener. She sliced through it in one swift motion, her face contorted in anger.

"You okay there, Viv?"

Not bothering to look over at him, she angrily replied, "No, Danny, no I'm not." She dropped the letter opener down on the table and focused her attention on the envelope. "I'm pissed off." She yanked the statement out of the envelope and unfolded it. "I want to know what in the hell Martin is doing and what in the hell he was thinking while he was doing it."

"Me too," he quietly replied. "Me too."

She finally glanced up at him, sharing a worried look before she returned her attention to the mail. He sighed and continued scrolling down Martin's credit card statement. So far most of his purchases were at local gas stations, restaurants that judging by the totals were meals for one, and a few trips to Duane Reade. There was nothing out of the ordinary. No major purchases at electronics stores or large cash withdrawals. Martin kept the balance low and paid it off every month.

He noted the timeline in his notes of when Martin filled up his tank in case they needed to track his movements but declared the rest of the statement useless. As he stuffed it back in the envelope, Danny noticed Elena hurrying in their direction.

She made a straight beeline towards where he and Vivian were sitting and said, "So I talked to Jerry, Martin's accountant."

"Did he share any information about Martin's financials?" Vivian asked, actively eviscerating another envelope.

"It took some finesse but yeah, he was able to provide me with Martin's banking records."

Danny narrowed his eyes at her and asked, "Do I want to hear how you convinced him?"

"Probably not." Elena smiled coyly and added, "Pero tú sabes que te amo no más a tí."

He shook his head and grinned, appreciating the brief moment of levity between them, as she pulled out a chair and sat down next to him. Viv straightened up in her own seat and asked, "Has he made any big withdrawals that might indicate where or how far he went?"

"Nada," Elena replied, tucking some hair behind her ears. "In fact, this is what has me most confused."

"What do mean?" he asked, dropping the statement on the table.

Sighing, Elena pulled out a portfolio stuffed with what looked like banking statements. "Okay, we know that we can link one hundred and fifty thousand dollars from Risto to Martin, right?"

"Right," Viv replied, setting aside her envelopes to focus her attention on Elena as well.

"Well, I can't understand why Martin would risk everything for so little money," she paused and corrected, "I mean, for me it is a lot of money – A LOT – but," she opened up the portfolio and sliding two banking statements towards Viv and Danny, "According to the accountant, Jerry, if you factor in property, savings, CDs, money market account and other investments, Martin is worth close to a million dollars."

"Are you shitting me?" Danny asked, agape. Elena shook her head, serious.

Vivian reached over and grabbed the paperwork, reading through it looking equally stunned by Elena's revelation. Flipping through the pages, she asked, "Did the accountant mention any financial troubles at all?"

"No," Elena replied, shaking her head and glancing at Danny. "In fact, the only comment he had about Martin was how little money he did spend." She opened up the portfolio again and pulled out a few more documents. "It seems that a bulk of Martin's money he inherited from his grandfather when he was ten. He left him a trust fund worth two hundred thousand." She laid it on the table and pointed to some highlighted sections. "He made some withdrawals when he was in college but the rest he invested. He turned a nice profit during the 90's. Since right now the market has been in a slump, he has been more reserved in how he invests but he's definitely not strapped for cash."

Danny grabbed the paper, stunned. He always suspected Martin was worth a dime or two but this, this was unfathomable. He shook his head, flung the paper back onto the table and quipped, "And that son of a bitch always made me split the check whenever we went out."

Viv worked her tongue into her cheek and, holding some of the documents, leaned back into her chair. "So if profit wasn't the motive, what was?" She rubbed her chin as she considered the possibilities. "Someone doesn't go from the Martin we know to a rogue agent just like that." She took a breath and looked over at Danny. "Are you one hundred percent certain he isn't using? Because if Risto is providing him with painkillers in exchange for information, it would track."

Danny sighed heavily, staring at all the documentation in front of him. The truth of the matter was, he had never been more unsure about Martin in his life. He took a deep breath and replied, "I really don't think so. If he is using again, he did an excellent job covering it up because I didn't notice one damn thing."

Viv nodded, solemnly. "Well, assuming that money or drugs isn't a motive, what would make an agent like Martin doing something like this? This isn't like what happened with Jack. I can't understand Martin's motivation here."

Shaking his head, he replied, "Normally I would say a woman might make a guy crazy enough but other than an almost empty box of condoms, it doesn't seem like he was seeing anyone seriously enough for this kind of risk."

"And you have no idea who he was sleeping with?" Elena asked. "He didn't use those condoms by himself."

"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck that was getting tighter and tighter as each new piece of information came into light. "Whoever this woman is, it was either really casual or he has been really good about covering his tracks."

Vivian checked her watch. "Most of Martin's neighbor's should be home by now." She stood up and grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair. "Maybe one of them saw her coming and going. We might be able to put together a description or get a name."

"Hang on, I'll go with you," Danny said when Lucy walked up to the table, a nervous expression on her face.

"Hey, Danny," Lucy's soft cadence greeted him. "I found Martin's car."

"Where?" he asked, his heart thumping madly as he looked up, eyes darting between Viv and Elena.

"At JFK airport," she quietly replied, a tinge of fear evident in her voice. "It's in long term parking."

"Do you know…?" he began when Lucy cut him off.

"I already checked, there are no Martin Fitzgerald's on any of the passenger manifests for the next twenty-four hours," she quickly replied. "I don't know where he is or where he went but he's not flying or driving there."

"You and Elena go," Viv said as she pulled her own cell phone from her coat. Jerking her head to Lucy she added, "Take Lucy. We don't want to move Martin's car, we need to draw as little attention to this for as long as we can, but we'll need her to download the information from his GPS." She started dialing and pressed the phone to her ear. "I'll call Jack and let him know what's going on."

Danny nodded at Viv as he rushed to the elevator, Elena and Lucy in tow. Two and a half agonizing hours later, after dealing with New York City rush hour traffic and a slow-up on the Van Wyck Expressway, they finally arrived at JFK International Airport.

Lucy talked to airport security to confirm where they reported having seen Martin's car. They found the Jeep sandwiched between a Cadillac Escalade and a GMC Yukon.

He double parked behind Martin's car and as he stepped out, he reached under his car seat and pulled out a Slim Jim. Elena eyed him before exiting the car along with Lucy. He stepped over to the driver's side and slipped the thin strip of metal between the glass and rim of the door, jimmying it until he heard the lock click. Sliding the device back out, he reached down for the handle and opened the door. He pressed the button to unlock the passenger door before sliding into the leather driver's seat.

Joining him inside, Elena popped open the glove compartment but it was empty save for the owner's manual, some napkins, an extra notepad and a few pens. Danny reached over and opened up the center console, but it was filled with nothing more than a few CDs and the chargers for his cell phone and iPod.

From outside the car, Lucy shouted, "Pop the hood so I can hook up to his GPS."

Danny reached under the dash for the latch and released the hood. Through the windshield, he watched as Lucy stepped to the front of the vehicle, delicately holding her laptop with one hand and lifting the hood with the other. Searching the interior one last time, he decided there was nothing to clue them into Martin's location so he exited the car. Stepping over to where Lucy was standing, he stared intently at her computer screen.

"You got anything?" he asked, peering over her shoulder.

She shook her head. "This would be faster if we could take the car back to the bureau garage."

"Sorry, we need to steer clear of Draper," he evenly replied. He noticed a concerned look on her face and whispered, "We appreciate you helping us out. I promise you I'll do my best to keep you out the fray."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Martin was always nice to me and I don't believe for a second the things they're accusing him of doing."

Danny wished he could say the same, but he was touched by Lucy's faith in Martin so he just let the comment sit there. He glanced over at Elena and shared a look, concern in each of their faces.

"Okay, here we go," Lucy announced. She began typing furiously, moving from screen to screen so fast that Danny found it hard to focus on what she was working on. "It looks like most of Martin's trips have been around the city but," she tapped a few keys, "he has been making quite a few trips to Jamaica Bay."

"Jamaica Bay?" Danny asked, squinting at the screen in disbelief.

Lucy nodded. "Looks like he was there almost every other week."

Elena folded her arms and leaned her hip against the car. Meeting Danny's eyes, she carefully spoke, "It's quiet, secluded. It could be where he met up with Risto."

Danny ran his hand over his head and nodded in agreement. It made sense. It was a logical assumption but there was a nagging feeling in Danny's gut. This felt wrong. Martin running, the note he left behind, his financials, and now his car parked at the airport. It almost felt too easy. Martin was a trained agent who worked Missing Persons, he knew better than anyone the best way for someone to disappear. If he wanted to run and hide, he wouldn't have left so much evidence behind for the team find. He had to know that they would be able to track him down. Gnawing on his lower lip, Danny wondered if Martin did purposely leave this trail of breadcrumbs for him to find, where was it going to lead? What did it all mean and the bigger question, what in the hell was Martin involved in?

"Danny?" Elena asked, quizzical. "What do you think?"

Glancing at the Jeep and then her, he replied, "I think we're headed to the beach."


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

XoXoXoXoX

"According to Martin's GPS, this is the spot," Lucy announced as she studied the map on her laptop.

Danny glanced around the gravel parking lot at Jamaica Bay that was dimly lit by a single lamppost in the far corner. Kicking the dirt beneath his feet, he stepped closer to the water's edge and stared out onto the darkness. "Why would he come here?" he wondered aloud.

Walking up to stand next to him, Elena quietly observed, "It's isolated and far from the more popular tourist areas." She shifted to look at him and finished, "It's a good spot to meet up with someone you wouldn't want to be seen with in public."

Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he replied, "I don't know. This doesn't feel right." He shook his head and turned to look directly at her. Her face looked so soft and lovely in the moonlight that for a split second, he almost forgot the reason they were here. "I mean, for all we know he's been coming up here to go kayaking."

Sighing doubtfully, Elena looked around and said, "We could set up a surveillance team but we don't even know if and when he's coming back here."

Danny lowered his head, rubbing the back of his neck. He knew she was right. If Martin really was running, there was no guarantee he would return to this spot again.

"We could just ask the rangers how we can get the footage from the cameras," Lucy suddenly piped in as she closed her laptop and started to put it back in her backpack. "Maybe we can see what he was doing or who he was with."

Almost forgetting she was there, Danny spun around to face the petite junior agent. "What?"

Pointing to something in the shrubbery lining on the beach, she responded, "You see those small boxes along the tide line? They hold cameras." She gestured to the bay and the two buoys bobbing in the water. "And judging by the lights, I would guess those two have cameras as well."

"Why would they have cameras?" Elena asked, squinting at the buoys as if trying to spot one of the camera's lenses.

"I'm not sure, but I remember reading somewhere that there were some environmental groups studying how commercial development affects the waterfowl in this region," Lucy replied, a proud smile on her face at being able to offer valuable information. She pulled her laptop back out and walked over to the car, setting it on the trunk. Opening it up she said, "I'm sure if you call the park rangers they can give you the name of whomever the cameras belong to."

Watching as she searched for some contact information, he leaned against the side of the car and asked, "So how do you know so much about this stuff?"

With a coy smile she replied, "I dated a guy in college who used the cameras to study the mating cycles of frogs." Noticing Danny's grin she shrugged and added, "I was nineteen. I thought granola boys were hot."

Elena folded her arms over her chest. "You don't think that anymore?"

"Let's just say that after a few months there is only so much patchouli incense and philosophical conversations about world peace a girl can take," Lucy replied. Danny chuckled softly and watched as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket. "Okay, I have a phone number." She dialed and he and Elena watched as she got a disappointed look on her face and hung up. "Their offices are closed until tomorrow morning."

Danny grunted, frustrated, when Elena reached over and ran her hand over his forearm. "Come on, let's go home. It's late and I still need to pick up Sofie from my mom's."

He hesitated, reluctant to take a break from the search for Martin but knowing Elena was right, he nodded and stepped back so she and Lucy could get into the car.

A few hours later, they returned to the city. After dropping off Lucy, they swung by Elena's parents place and picked up Sofie before heading home.

Carrying a limp and sleeping girl his arms, Danny walked behind Elena into the apartment. Whispering that he would tuck Sofie in for the night, he moved towards the little girl's room while Elena headed to theirs. He carefully reached over and pulled back the blankets before laying Sofie into her bed. Thankfully Elena's mom had the foresight to put the girl in her pajamas so she would be all set when they picked her up.

Tucking her in, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead when she sighed heavily and rolled onto her side. Smiling, he quietly exited her bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Unbuttoning his shirt, his tie and jacket discarded in the car hours earlier, he entered the bedroom and heard Elena in the bathroom performing her nightly absolutions. Too tired to even bother brushing his teeth, he shrugged off his shirt and tossed in the corner. He toed off his shoes and unbuckled his pants, discarding them on the floor before crawling into bed. He clicked off the lamp, drowning the room in darkness with only a thin strip of light coming from under the bathroom door.

He was bone tired but he knew his mind wouldn't let him get any rest any time soon. The entire ride back to the city questions kept creeping up into his mind. Why would Martin take so many risks for so little money? What was his motivation? Why would he make up a lie about dating so many women as a cover story? Who was he sleeping with and why was there no trace of her in his life? Why did he leave behind so much evidence if he was running? And, of course, there was the ultimate question: where in the hell was Martin?

Danny slid further into bed, folding his arm so his hand was shoved under the pillow beneath his head. There was so many thoughts and questions bouncing around in his head it was hard to capture just one. Closing his eyes he tried to steady his breathing and force his mind to clear. This time instead of the questions about the situation Martin was in now, he began replaying old conversations with him, wondering how he could miss the signs that Martin was living a double life.

The problem was, he couldn't find a single one. Sure, Martin had been happier but that wasn't any indication that he should be concerned. Martin had covered his tracks, not giving anyone from the team cause for suspicion. And that bothered him most of all. He remembered when he talked to Martin about Jack's actions during the Jen Long case and how the two men agreed, that it was the blatant betrayal and disregard for the team that upset them most.

XoX

"_And I'll have the cheeseburger with Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms," Martin said before shutting his menu and handing it to their server. _

_Once the waitress was gone, Danny tore open a sugar packet and poured the small white granules into his glass of iced tea. Using his straw, he stirred it up until the sugar dissolved and watched as Martin stared up at the flat screen TV mounted on the wall. _

_The table next to theirs burst into laughter and Danny looked over to see a group of teenagers, two boys and three girls, gathered around and watching something on their laptop. He couldn't see the monitor but whatever it was they seemed to find it very amusing. Sitting next to teens was one of the sacrifices someone makes when they decide to eat dinner at a franchise sports bar and restaurant. _

_Danny glanced over in time to see the Yankees game cut to commercial. Taking advantage of the break, he pulled his glass closer to him and asked, "So have you decided what you are going to say yet?" _

_It was the night before they were supposed to be interviewed by OPR about Jack's actions. Elena was at Sam's helping her pack the bag for the hospital since the baby was due very soon and having been there once before, she knew what was really necessary and what wasn't. Danny, feeling weighed down by the stress of the last few weeks, asked Martin if he wanted to go with him to a meeting and then dinner afterwards. _

_Shifting his eyes away from the television, Martin shrugged. "Nope." He reached over and slid his soda near him but didn't drink. "I'm upset for Vivian. What Jack did to her was underhanded and disrespectful." He ran his hand along the side of the soda glass, wiping off beads of sweat. "But we all know Jack, too. He's single minded and stubborn but he's also one of the best agents there is. He's the first one to tell you sometimes the ends justify the means." _

_Danny pumped his straw in this glass, the stabbing motion satisfying his frustrated mood. "That's the problem. We've been ignoring his 'means' for too long." Grinding his teeth, he met Martin's eyes and said, "He's our SAC. He's supposed to lead by example, not run around like an unchecked vigilante agent."_

"_I think he thought he was protecting us by doing it alone," Martin replied, looking taken aback by Danny's bitter tone. "While I wish he hadn't done it the way he had, in the end we did get a good arrest on Romar, Giusti is dead, and we rescued a lot of girls in the process." _

"_At what costs?" Danny asked with restrained inflection. "Jack could've been killed." _

"_But he wasn't," Martin replied, slumping down on his side of the booth. He tilted his head as if considering his words and said, "Breaking the rules or following them, everyday we go out in the field we take a chance that we might not come home that night." He sighed, meeting Danny's eyes. "We both know that better than anyone."_

_Danny nodded slowly, his eyes flicking over to the group of giggling teenagers. They looked so carefree, unbothered by the evils of the world around them. He envied their naiveté. _

"_I know the dangers of working the job and that we can't get any guarantees how a case will turn out." Working his jaw, he looked back at Martin. "But we do everything we can to keep ourselves safe and everyone else on the team safe. What Jack did," he pursed his lips and leaned in closer, "it was suicide. He went it alone, no back up, no heads up to anyone on the team, no Kevlar, nothing. He didn't care if he lived or died. He didn't care how it would make his kids, or any of the rest of us, feel if he had been killed. He needs help."_

"_Is that what you are going to tell OPR?" Martin asked, slightly shocked that Danny would take such a hard line when he'd always shown such unflinching loyalty to Jack and the rest of the team in the past._

_There it was: the impossible question. Feeling like you're ratting out a friend and mentor or risk letting that person hurt himself by continuing to ignore his self-destructive behavior. _

_Shaking his head, he replied, "I have no idea what I am going to tell them. I just know that I can't keep ignoring it when Jack does stuff like this anymore. If he isn't going to stop himself, maybe we need to do it for him." Martin lowered his head and smiled. Bristled, Danny asked, "You think that's funny?" _

_Martin's head shot up. "No, not at all." He smiled sadly and said, "I think it just means you're a good friend." _

_Danny nodded, grateful that Martin understood his reasoning. Wanting to shake off this dark mood, he grinned and said, "Yeah, well, watch out because I'm going to treat you the same way if you do something stupid, too."_

_Laughing, Martin picked up his glass in a mock toast and said, "Well, then I guess I'll just have to stay out of trouble than, won't I?" _

_Raising his own glass, Danny replied, "Damn straight." _

XoX

Danny heard the bathroom door creak open and the light switch flick off. He cracked open his eyes in time to see Elena stepping out of the bathroom, rubbing lotion on her arms as she padded softly towards the bed. She was wearing a tank top and a pair of loose fitting pajama bottoms.

He pulled back the covers on her side of the bed and she crawled in beside him. Curving her body to his, he wrapped one arm around her waist as she rested her head on his shoulder. He inhaled deeply, smiling at the fragrance that was uniquely Elena. She smelled like mangos and coconut and home.

Tilting her head up to look at him she whispered, "Try and get some sleep, mi amor."

"Too wired," he breathed, shaking his head and focusing his gaze on the ceiling. Shadows crisscrossing the ceiling as cars drove down the street.

She reached up and brushed her fingers through his short hair. "Still try, for me. You need your rest."

He brought his hand out from under the pillow, cupping hers and kissing her palm before resting their clasped hands on the top of his chest. "I'll try."

She smiled softly and closed her eyes, snuggling up against him. Shutting his own eyes, he inhaled and exhaled, hoping to relax enough to settle his mind. With his other hand, he began tracing small circles on her back.

Releasing a breath, she snuggled closer and murmured, "You're not relaxing."

He smiled, touched that she knew him so well. "What gave me away?"

"Your fingers are tracing question marks on my back," she replied, laughing softly. Propping her head up, she asked, "Do you want to talk?"

Shaking his head, he said, "I don't even know what to think or say. I just wish I knew where he was or if he's okay."

She tilted her head to the side, thinking. "I guess right now the best you can do is remind yourself that wherever Martin is, he wants to be there."

"Yeah I guess," he replied, deciding to give voice to the feeling gnawing him deep in his gut. "I just can't help but feel Martin has left behind a lot of questions and it's up to me to find out the answers."

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A/N: Big, huge thanks to Anmodo for her help on this chapter. And big thank you to all of you for reading this fic and sticking by me in trying something different. Thanks!


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

XoXoXoXoX

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Danny asked while staring at a trailer that looked like it had spent more time on the highway than in the RV Park where it resided now. His eyes quickly scanned the stickers that adorned the door and small windows. Some were new and others were faded by long days in the sun and rain. They boasted eating organic foods, promoted local bands, world peace and environmental organizations. There were even a few weathered bumper stickers campaigning for Ralph Nadar for president. Clearly whoever lived here truly believed in lost causes.

"This is the address the park ranger gave Lucy," Jack replied, walking up the dirt path to the trailer's door.

Danny fell in step behind him, looking around the small enclosed front yard. Off to the side there was a vegetable garden surrounded by a chicken wire fence and a large barrel filled with rain water nearby. Positioned on the opposite end were four beat-up lawn-chairs gathered haphazardly around a small fire pit enclosed in a circle with large rocks.

Jack rapped on the small door that rattled each time his fist hit it. A few moments later a man about twenty-five years old with short red hair, a thick full beard and a rounded paunch answered the door. Danny couldn't help but think that "granola boy" was the perfect description of this guy and briefly wondered if this was the sort of boy Lucy said she'd dated in college.

Eyeing them warily, granola boy asked, "Can I help you?"

"Are you Toby Berger?" Jack questioned.

"Yeah," Toby nervously replied, glancing around as if he expected other people to appear. "Who are you? What's this about?"

Badging him, Jack said, "We're special agents Malone and Taylor…"

"Oh crap!" Toby anxiously interrupted. "I…Is this about my herb garden? Because I swear it's all for medicinal purposes. My grandma has glaucoma and…"

Restraining a smile, Danny corrected, "Relax, man. We have no interest in your… _herbs_. We want to talk to you about the cameras you have set up at Jamaica Bay."

Toby frowned, obviously perplexed by Danny's response. "Since when is the FBI interested in water fowl?"

"We're not," Jack replied, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. "We want to know if your cameras ever caught footage of this guy parked in the vicinity of your research project." He held out his iPhone, a picture of Martin displayed on the screen.

Still confused, it took Toby a minute to focus on what Jack asked but he finally leaned in and studied Martin's picture.

He smiled, instantly recognizing the man in the photo. "Hey, it's Heathcliff."

Danny shared a look with Jack and asked, "Heathcliff? He told you his name is Heathcliff?"

"No," Toby replied, shaking his head. "I never met the guy."

"You just called him Heathcliff," Jack argued, clearly beginning to get agitated.

"Yeah, I mean, that's what my girlfriend calls him," Toby replied, anxiously.

"So…so your girlfriend knows him?" Danny asked, hoping that maybe the mystery woman connection was being made. "Is she here?"

Shaking his head, Toby said, "You don't understand, man." He stepped back inside and motioned for them to follow. "Come in and I'll explain."

Jack entered first and Danny had to hunch down just to get through the low doorway. Slumped over, the ceiling too short for Danny's lanky frame, he glanced around the interior of the trailer. It smelled like a college dorm. Against the far end was the built in sofa section accessorized by a army green pleather bean bag and a coffee table that looked like it was liberated from grandma's house. On the table were magazines, a chipped coffee mug that read, "Hike Naked," and a 70's style ashtray that judging by the smell and nearby bong was never used for actual cigarettes.

At first blush, the cramped trailer and second hand furniture would make it seem like Toby was strapped for cash but the MacPro laptop, Sony DigiCam, and a handful of other gadgets on the small table in the kitchenette indicated otherwise.

Settling in to whatever space they could find, Jack said, "You were saying?"

"Yeah," Toby replied, nodding as he walked to the rear of the trailer. "See, like I said, we never actually met the guy." He stopped in front of a small door that Danny assumed was a closet until Toby started pounding on it, saying, "Hey Eva, hurry up. I need your help out here."

"Alright!" a woman's voice shouted back. "Gimme a sec!"

Toby walked back to where they were and leaned against the faux wood paneled wall. "We definitely have footage of that guy you're looking for but since we didn't know his name my girlfriend made one up."

Moments later, they heard the sound of a toilet flushing followed by some running water and then a mousey girl with thin wavy brown hair and tortoise shell eyeglasses emerged from the closet-style bathroom. Her head was lowered, her gaze focused on buckling her belt. "What's the emergency?" she asked when she raised her head and froze at the sight of the two men huddled together in the small trailer. Her face went bright red and her eyes darted between Danny and Jack before landing on Toby. "What's going on?"

Toby stepped over to his girlfriend and said, "It's cool. These guys just want to know about Heathcliff."

She went wide-eyed and glanced at them nervously. "Are you private detectives? Did her husband hire you?"

"Husband?" Jack asked, puzzled.

Toby chuckled and affectionately reached over and rubbed his girlfriend's back. "They're not detectives." He looked over at them and explained, "See, the thing is, Heathcliff, that's what we call him, Heathcliff often meets up with a woman – we call her Catherine – and we thought they were having an affair."

"Why would you think they were having an affair or that she was the one who was married?" Danny asked, instantly wondering if that's why Martin was so careful to not leave behind any traces of the woman he had been seeing. He never pegged Martin for an adulterer but, again, there were a lot of things he thought Martin would never do before today.

"They always arrived in separate cars at odd times of the day," Eva explained. "He would get there first and leave last. Made me think no one was keeping tabs on him whereas a married woman…"

"Would have to get home before her husband gets suspicious," Jack finished. "Pretty clever." Eva shrugged, but there was definitely a proud smile on her face. Jack pointed to their computers and asked, "Do you have any images of Heathcliff and this Catherine that we could take a look at?"

"Sure," Toby replied, scooting past Eva and sliding into the booth in the kitchenette. He pulled his laptop closer to him and began typing.

"Why are you asking about him if you're not detectives?" Eva was clearly much more conspiracy minded hippie than her boyfriend.

Jack worked his jaw and Danny knew he was wondering just how much information to share. "The man you call Heathcliff is missing. He hasn't reported to work so we are concerned for his safety."

Danny noted that Jack was careful not to mention Martin's name or the fact that he was also an FBI agent.

Eva blanched. "Oh my god, you don't think her husband killed him do you?"

"We just need to find him," Jack deflected.

"I hope he's all right," she worriedly replied. "Catherine would be devastated if anything happened to him."

"You have a pretty high opinion of them," Danny commented, crossing his arms. It was apparent to him at least that Eva seemed almost protective of Martin and this woman.

Eva trained her eyes on him. "It's so perfectly clear they are in love."

"Here we go," Toby announced, angling the laptop so they could all look at the screen. It was opened to a file folder filled with files upon files labeled 'Catherine and Heathcliff.'

"You kept all of them in a special file?" Danny asked, surprised by the quantity of images.

"Yeah," Toby replied. "Eva found them fascinating so she insisted that we put all their footage into their own folder. A record of rendezvous'," he snickered and thumbed to Eva. "This one even made a fan video of her favorite couple."

Danny looked over at Eva, puzzled, and she explained, "I compiled all my favorite clips of them together and set it to music." Smiling, she added, "What can I say? I'm a romantic."

"I thought she was going to start writing fan fiction about the little love birds," Toby teased.

Eva smacked him on the arm. "Shut up, you're the one who writes _Stargate Atlantis_ and _Battlestar Galactica_ stories."

"Fan fiction?" Jack asked, quizzical, as though he two young people were speaking a foreign language.

Noticing the confused looks on Danny and Jack's faces, he nervously stammered, "Um, you know when a fan writes a story based on a show or movie…" Danny narrowed his eyes at the young man, still completely perplexed, causing Toby to shrink under his gaze, embarrassed. "You know what, never mind. It's not important."

"I'd like to see it," Jack said, jerking his chin to the computer.

Toby's face lit up. "Really? I have about nine stories, mainly centered on Dr. Rodney McKay. I don't like to brag, but I'm quite popular on some websites--"

Clearly getting agitated again, Jack cut him off, "The video. I'd like to see the video."

Blushing brightly, Toby replied, "Right, of course. That's why you're here."

Jack shared a bemused look with Danny who just shrugged.

Toby turned to face the laptop and double-clicked to play the video as Eva reached over and affectionately ran her hand over the back of Toby's neck before sliding into the booth next to him to watch.

It took a beat for Quick Time to load when the screen went dark and a slow strumming guitar began to play.

XoXoX

_Rain turns the sand into mud  
Wind turns the trees into bone  
Stars turning high up above  
You turn me into somebody loved_

XoXoX

The first image that appeared on screen was of Martin standing alone beside his jeep in the twilight. He was wearing clothes from work but his jacket was off, his sleeves rolled up and his tie hanging loosely from his unbuttoned collar. Judging by Martin's outfit, it was taken when the weather was warm so maybe sometime last summer. Danny watched, wondering if it was dusk or dawn when a car drove up alongside him. The car's lights were on so he couldn't make out the model or the driver right away but when the headlights clicked off and the driver stepped out, Danny could have sworn he felt the floor drop out from beneath him. His eyes were locked on the screen, almost refusing to believe what he was seeing. Stunned, he turned to look over at Jack who was equally shocked by the identity of Martin's secret woman.

Returning his gaze to the screen, he watched as Martin stepped up to the woman and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a friendly hug. They broke apart, each seeming genuinely happy to be near each other. She leaned back against her car and Martin simply stood there and listened to her as she spoke, a serious gaze fixed on hers.

The image faded to black before the screen filled with green tinted images.

"I have a night vision camera," Toby explained.

Danny nodded and watched as Martin sat in his Jeep drinking coffee, not looking concerned or in a hurry to go anywhere when the same car from the previous clip pulled in alongside his. The brunette stepped out and got into the Jeep, giving him a bright smile as she sat down. Martin tilted his head laughing as he reached towards his dashboard and handed her a large cup of coffee. They sat together, talking and laughing when the screen cut to the next clip.

XoXoX

_Nights when the heat had gone out  
We danced together alone  
Cold turned our breath into clouds  
We never said what we were dreaming of  
But you turned me into somebody loved_

XoXoX

Danny stared at the images, his mind spinning so fast he couldn't concentrate long enough to form coherent thoughts. On the screen he saw image after image marking Martin's secret life, clips of Martin looking happier than he had ever seen him in his life but at the same time shaking his foundations to their very core.

The video kept playing and he witnessed time passing in Martin's secret relationship. The season's changed and the full green leaves shriveled up and fell to the earth. The air grew cooler and he saw Martin continuing to meet with this woman in secret. Images of Martin sitting on the hood of her car, talking intimately about things he couldn't even begin to imagine. The two of them huddled close together as they walked along the bank, their breath visible in the air as they spoke.

Then the images grew much more personal.

One night, Martin reached into his car, flipped on the car's lights and walked over to her and held out his hand. She shook her head, refusing but he jerked his chin and she stepped up as he pulled her close. They danced in front of the Jeep, their bodies silhouetted by the lights. They moved slowly, swaying gently when she looked up just as he looked down and they kissed.

XoXoX

_Someday when we're old and worn  
Like two softened shoes  
I will wonder on how I was born  
The night I first ran away from you_

XoXoX

The images morphed much more quickly, like snapshots on a projector.

There was Martin, holding her close to him as they talked, laughed and kissed. For a secret affair, they seemed to spend a large portion of their time talking. Not that talking is all they did. On more than one occasion, they moved to the backset of her car and the windows steamed up as the car rocked slowly.

But it wasn't all smiles and affection, in one clip they are arguing: her arms flying animatedly as she shouted and Martin shaking his head as he continued to step closer invading her personal space. She dropped her arms defeated and turned to stare out onto the water. Martin lowered his head, an expression of guilt Danny knew well, before slowly stepping up to stand alongside her, tilting his head tenderly towards hers and whispering something into her ear. She turned to face him, a questioningly look on her face. He nodded and reached up with both hands, cupping her face. He said something and then leaned into to kiss her as she wrapped her arms around him. They clutched to each other so tightly it seemed…desperate.

XoXoX

_Now my feet turn the corner back home  
Sun turns the evening to rose  
Stars turning high up above  
You turn me into, you turn me into  
You turn me into somebody loved_

XoXoX

Then the image shifts to winter. The trees are bare, the sky is black and even though it looks cold, she is sitting on the hood of her car, wearing a heavy coat as a soft scattering of snowflakes fell from the sky. Martin was by his Jeep, the passenger door open as he leaned in to get something. When he steps back over, he is carrying a large cupcake with a lit up candle and his mouth is moving like he is singing happy birthday. She giggled as he held up the cupcake for her to make a wish.

Danny made a mental note to check the date of the receipt for the bakery that he found in Martin's apartment to help establish a timeline.

The images sped up: her licking the frosting from the bottom of the candle, the two of them sharing the confection, alternating bites between kisses when Martin pulled a small digital camera from his pocket.

Their faces were illuminated in a soft blue light as he showed her pictures on the camera's small screen. To Danny's surprise, with her eyes locked on the screen she began crying. Martin wrapped his arm around her, kissed her temple and murmured something as she continued staring at the camera's display window with a bittersweet smile on her lips.

The image moved to a close-up as the soft, feminine voice sadly finished, "_Somebody loved…somebody loved."_

XoXoX

"That's it," Eva said as she reached over and pressed the pause button. Slumping back into her seat, she looked up at Danny and said, "I told you. It's so clear how they feel about each other."

It was quiet for a beat and Danny looked over at Jack to see him as confused and concerned as he felt. They both knew that the footage they just saw was incriminating evidence that Martin may just be guilty of the crimes he was accused as well as his possible motive.

Able to focus faster than Danny, Jack cleared his throat and said to Toby, "I need a copy of everything you have."

Toby hesitated, surprised by their reactions to seeing the video but nodded and pulled out a USB stick to start downloading the files for them. They were both quiet, each unwilling to talk about what they just saw until they were in private. Toby pulled out the memory stick and handed it to Jack.

"Thank you for, um," Jack paused, still too overcome by the footage. "Thanks."

Jack quickly turned and moved to the door but as Danny started to follow, Eva stood up and met his eyes.

"Please I have to know, what are their real first names?" she asked hopefully, as though the answer would be the key to finishing the story she'd obviously weaved for the couple she only knew from afar.

Her eyes so filled with such affection for the couple that it hurt Danny knew he couldn't refuse her simple request. He looked back at the paused video, and with his eyes locked on the screen and his mind reeling, he breathed, "Their names are Martin and Sanya."

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A/N: The names Catherine and Heathcliff are inspired by the Emily Bronte book, _Wuthering Heights_ and the song is "Somebody Loved" by The Weepies.

I know I have mentioned this already but a seriously big thanks to Anmodo for all her hard work in editing this story. She has proven to be an invaluable resource. I would also like to give a big thanks to all of you who are reading this story and more so, to the ones who review. It totally makes my day! Thank you!


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

XoXoXoXoX

Danny, Jack, and Samantha stared at Sanya through the two-way window. Looking cool as a cucumber, she lingered in front of the mirror and casually checked her make-up while her lawyer, a short pudgy looking man with a bad comb-over and expensive Hugo Boss suit checked his watch.

To Danny's left, Jack gripped the file folder tightly in his hand and narrowed his eyes at the woman, giving her a hard evaluating look. After seeing the revealing video the two men hopped back in their sedan and called up Vivian and Samantha, telling them to swing by Dobre Scre to pick up Sanya and bring her in for a conversation.

He heard Sam sigh heavily to his right. Stealing a look out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her watching Sanya with a sad expression. The entire team was shocked at learning the identity of the woman Martin had been seeing in secret for a little less than a year. While Elena and Vivian were the most verbal in their surprise, Samantha seemed to withdraw into herself, only offering the smallest of comments.

"Hard to believe, isn't it? I still can't figure out how she and Martin came together from that day we interviewed her at the bar," he commented, try to draw Sam out of her thoughts. He trained his eyes back onto Sanya in time to see her use the tips of her fingers to wipe any lipstick smudges from the corners of her mouth. "I mean, I knew she had a sort of thing for him, always making those inquiries about Martin and calling him 'boy scout.'"

"Are you thinking she sought him out?" Samantha asked, thoughtfully, her eyes on Sanya as the woman gave herself one final check before sitting back down at the table. "That this all began because Martin is connected to her and not Risto?"

Memories of a despondent Martin echoed in Danny's mind. He knew that Martin went through a rough patch, but Danny thought he had just pulled himself out of it. But when Danny really considered it, he knew that sometimes the affection and interest of a woman towards a man, who had been clouded in self-doubt and depression, would be welcomed with open arms. He wondered if Martin had been so desperate to find love that he allowed himself to be lured in by Sanya. It was hard to believe. Sanya was so far from the sort of woman Danny had considered to be Martin's "type." But then he thought back to the images on the video and how affectionate and tender the Sanya seemed toward Martin. That Sanya seemed completely different from the woman he'd met all those months ago in Risto's bar. The problem was he couldn't be sure which one was the genuine version of the woman and feared it was the one sitting inside.

"I don't know," Danny mumbled, shaking his head. "But I guess there is only one way to find out."

"We should do this now," Jack commented, checking his watch. "According to Viv, Draper was on his way to Martin's apartment to have a conversation of his own. He's going to find out Martin is missing so we need to keep three steps ahead." He looked pointedly at Sam and motioned for her to follow. "Let's get to it."

"I think I should be the one to interview her with you, Jack," Danny commented giving Sam an apologetic look.

"Not this time," Jack replied. "Our last few attempts weren't very successful. I think we should try it with a female agent."

He didn't like it but Danny nodded and lingered behind as Jack and Samantha entered the interview room. Reaching over, he clicked on the speaker and watched them through the window as they sat down opposite Sanya and the lawyer.

Sitting back in her chair, Sanya gave them a bored look and asked, "What is it this time? I'm beginning to feel like I am back in my country spending so much time being interviewed by the police."

Ignoring her comment, Jack dropped the file on the table and asked, "What can you tell us about Special Agent Martin Fitzgerald?"

To Danny's surprise, for the slightest second Sanya's cool façade cracked but just as quickly, she regained her composure. "Why are you asking me? Doesn't he work for you?"

"How about you do us all a favor and cut the act," Jack growled, his eyes boring into Sanya. "We know that you and agent Fitzgerald have been seeing each other."

With cool, calculating eyes moving between Jack and Samantha, her lips curved up into a slow, smooth smile. "So, Marty has decided to…what do you say? Let the kitty out of the sack?"

"I would like to advise my client to remain quiet," the lawyer replied, giving Sanya a warning look. "I would like to confer with…"

"Do not worry," Sanya said, cutting her lawyer off. "It is fine."

The lawyer rolled his eyes and motioned for Jack to continue.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Jack pressed. From where Danny stood he could see Jack's leg bouncing under the table, anxious and agitated.

Sanya furrowed her eyebrows, curious. "Why do you need to know?"

"Martin's missing," Sam announced, her eyes cautiously studying the other woman's face. "We thought you might know where he is."

"Don't answer that," the lawyer said to Sanya.

"I said it is fine," she growled back before looking over at Jack. "If you can't find him what makes you think I could?"

"Because you seem to know a lot about keeping things secret," Jack gruffly replied, opening up the folder and dropping photo stills from the video footage onto the table. Images documenting Sanya and Martin's affair spilled onto the table. "And because that is you in the photographs that were taken days before he disappeared."

Sanya sat straight up and, with her blood red fingernails, reached over and delicately spread out the photos before her, studying them curiously. The lawyer picked up one as well and Danny could tell that he wanted to say something but Sanya shot him a look to keep quiet. Picking up one of the photos, she tilted her head and smiled, "Where did you get these?"

"Doesn't matter," Jack snapped back, annoyed by Sanya's flippant attitude. "So you want to tell me how long you and agent Fitzgerald have been having an affair?"

Lowering the photo, Sanya met Jack's eyes. "I have been seeing Marty since last summer." She held up one of the photos. "But you don't really need me to tell you that do you? It's all right here."

"So you admit that you and he were having an affair?" Sam asked, clutching her pen tightly in her fist. Danny couldn't help but think she was holding it like a switchblade, ready to use it at the slightest provocation.

"Yes, we were sleeping together," Sanya replied, looking entirely too pleased with herself.

"So it was only a physical relationship?" Sam asked, her grip on her pen tightening. "Just sex, nothing more?"

Sanya leaned forward, meeting Sam's eyes. "Oh, come on, Agent Spade, are you seriously judging me? After what Martin told me about you, I thought you would understand most of all."

Danny felt his breath hitch, realizing just how much intimate information Martin had shared with Sanya. If he and Sanya discussed his relationship with Sam, something that remained a sore spot of discussion even between him and Danny, he couldn't be certain just how much more Martin had told her about his life and his work.

"What's that supposed to mean…?" Sam angrily replied, leaning forward to stare daggers at Sanya.

"This isn't about Agent Spade," Jack growled, putting his arms out to push both Sanya and Samantha away. Glaring at Sanya, he reminded, "We are asking about you and Martin."

Sanya smiled smugly at Sam and responded, "Fine. What do you want to know? His favorite positions, what spot got him hot when I touched him, what?"

Seething, Jack gritted his teeth and replied, "You know, I'm sure Risto would be very interested in finding out that you guys aren't as in love as he keeps claiming you are."

"Come now, Agent Malone," Sanya coolly replied, seeming amused by the way the interview was going. "People have affairs all the time. It doesn't mean you stop loving the person you're with, it just means you have some needs that must be met elsewhere." She locked eyes with Jack and coyly added, "Or don't you think that's possible?"

Ignoring the comment, Jack worked his jaw and replied, "You hardly seem like Martin's type."

She grinned. "I guess you would know."

Angry, Jack pounded his hand on the table, jarring Sanya's attention back to the topic. "Just tell us how it happened." He regained his cool and bore his eyes at her. "Because we cannot figure out what he saw in you."

"It's not against the law to have affairs," the lawyer commented, dropping the photographs on the table. "Or how or why they occur."

"No, it isn't," Jack replied, leaning forward and resting his clasped hands on the table as he focused on Sanya. "So why don't you tell us about it?"

Unaffected by Jack's methods, Sanya leaned back in her chair. "Fine, I'll tell you." She reached into her purse and pulled out a lighter and a cigarette. "It took some trying but I learned a long time ago that when it comes to men, especially men like Martin, sometimes it's not so much who you are but who they think you are. In Martin's case, he's one of those men drawn to the damaged soul in a pretty package," she stated as her eyes flitted quickly in Sam's direction.

Sam cocked an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Playing with the lighter between her fingers but making no move to light up, she replied, "Oh, you know, he goes for women with a hard edge but show moments of vulnerability. He has one of those Prince Charming complexes, always looking to help the damsel in distress." She brought the cigarette up to her lips but paused, adding, "It's funny though because if you ask me, he was the one who needed some rescuing. I haven't seen a man that insecure before; I guess whoever he dated in the past really did a number on him."

Jack reached over and snatched the cigarette from Sanya's lips, crushing it with his fist. "Stop playing your little games."

"This interview is over," the lawyer began, standing up when Sanya reached over and grabbed his arm, pulling him back to his seat.

"No, I want to talk," Sanya replied with a frown, her attention back on Jack. "I thought you wanted to know how we got together?" She locked eyes with Jack, an intense knowing glint in her eyes. "Or are you not enjoying this little talk about relationships and adultery?"

"Just tell us how you and agent Fitzgerald got together," Jack ordered, flinging the crumpled cigarette to the floor.

"Marty and I," she pointedly replied. Danny saw Sam wince at hearing Sanya use Martin's nickname, "happened to run into each other one night."

"Happened to?" Sam repeated as if the phrase left a sour taste in her mouth.

Caught, Sanya sighed and corrected, "Alright, I followed him after he left the office the last time you called me in for an interview. I couldn't resist, he is awfully cute." She grinned and explained, "He had gone to a restaurant and was having dinner all by his lonesome and he just looked so lonely and sad that I decided to approach him. It took some persuading, but I convinced him to have dinner with me. One thing led to another… I think you know the rest."

"I find it hard to believe it happened just like that," Jack argued, his eyes steady on Sanya.

"It wasn't easy; he took some convincing," she replied, looking put out. "But if there is one thing I can do is read men and know what they like. He wanted to save me. So I told him I was unhappy in my relationship with Risto, that I had all these silly dreams of living a simple life…all that stuff. After that, the only hard part was finding time for us to meet."

"Do you think that your fiancé suspected anything?" Sam asked, releasing her death grip on the pen and dropping it to the table.

"No. Why?" she asked, her gaze fluctuating between Jack and Sam. "You don't seriously think Risto has anything to do with Marty being missing?"

"Gives him motive to know that his woman is stepping out behind his back," Jack replied. "Most men don't like their future wives sleeping with other men."

"Neither do most women," Sanya frostily replied, meeting Jack's eyes, before shrugging and smiling. "But, in this case, Risto and I have a… understanding. We are in love and we are committed to each other but sometimes we have needs that have to be met elsewhere. All he asks is that I am discreet." She reached down and delicately slid the photos around on the table. "I thought our meeting place was private, but I guess I was wrong."

Sam squared her shoulders and narrowed her eyes at Sanya, arguing, "You know what's wrong with your story? I know Martin. I know him very well." Sam's tone got Sanya's full attention and she looked up, listening as Sam railed into her. "And I know that Martin would never be happy playing second fiddle to Risto. He's an all or nothing sort of man, so why don't you cut the bullshit and tell us what's really going on?"

"Maybe he was so accustomed to keeping relationships private that he thought it might be interesting to be on the other side of an illicit relationship," Sanya speculated with a conniving grin. "You know, to see what the draw is of being the 'other' man."

Unable to contain his frustration a moment longer, Jack slammed his fist on the table, jarring Sanya's attention back to him. "Let me tell you what I think. I think you're lying and that all of this," he waved his hand over the photographs, "is connected to the money that Risto was transferring to Martin's bank account."

"Watch yourself, Agent Malone," the lawyer growled.

"Yes, Agent Malone, watch yourself," Sanya replied, shaking her head. "You know you aren't supposed to ask me about that."

Danny clenched his fist. He never thought he would hit a woman before but now, he was considering how satisfying it would feel.

"Cut the crap already!" Sam shouted. "Tell us what we need to know: where the hell is Martin?"

Sanya smiled and locked eyes with Sam. "I see it now."

Fuming, Samantha stared at Sanya and growled, "Excuse me?"

"What Marty saw in you," she replied, giving Sam an appraising look. "He said you had a passionate spirit."

Sam abruptly stood up so fast that her chair wobbled behind her, threatening to fall over when Jack reached out and righted it. They both watched as an angry Sam alternated between glaring at Sanya and pacing the small space near the window.

While Sanya just laughed, bemused by Sam's outburst as the lawyer stood up and declared, "This interview is over." He helped Sanya stand up and gently pushed her towards the door. "Unless you're ready to press charges against Ms. Kovac, we are going home."

"I'm not done yet," Jack growled, trying to step in front of the lawyer. "I think she was the last one to see Martin."

"Why would you say that?" the lawyer asked as Sanya observed them, amused.

Sam grabbed one of the stills off the table and held it up. "Because of this." The lawyer grabbed the video still and Danny knew exactly what was on it. It was a picture taken of Sanya the night before at the parking lot where she had been meeting Martin. "It was taken from some video the night Martin disappeared. As you can see, Sanya was waiting for Martin at their usual spot."

"He didn't show up," Sanya replied.

The lawyer looked at Jack and Sam, asking, "Do you have footage of Agent Fitzgerald meeting with my client the night in question?"

"No but…" Sam began before trailing off.

"Well, there you go, this doesn't prove anything," the lawyer replied, tossing it back on the table. "My client has already admitted to the affair and all the photo reveals is that she was waiting for him. If you ask me, you just gave her a solid alibi." He escorted Sanya to the door and over his shoulder he said, "Thanks."

Danny turned in time to see Sanya round the corner but she didn't see him right away, her face lowered. Angry that she was getting away, Danny squared his shoulders to stare her down when she looked up and Danny froze when she met his eyes. Before he could react, she quickly glanced away, walking down the hallway to the elevator.

Still surprised, Danny turned on his heels in time to watch her disappear around the corner, unsure of what he just witnessed. Because, while he couldn't be absolutely sure, for the slightest second, he couldn't help but think that in Sanya's eyes he saw the saddest look he had ever seen. It was the look of a woman who was worried about someone she loved.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

XoXoXoXoX

Shuffling behind Jack and Sam as they headed back to the bullpen, Danny's mind replayed the look in Sanya's eyes over and over. He dropped his chin and rubbed the back of his neck, wondering if he saw what he thought he saw. Maybe he just wished that the woman Martin clearly cared about so intensely may have felt the smallest shred of affection for him in return. A big part of his mind doubted it though, because during that interview she just gave, she was every bit the ice queen that he had suspected her of being.

_But what did that look mean?_

He was so lost in his own thoughts he almost didn't notice that Jack and Sam had stopped walking. Halting just short of bumping Sam from behind, he raised his head in time to see Elena and Vivian hurrying their way.

"What's going on?" Jack asked as the two women neared.

Looking anxious, Elena quickly eyed Danny as she handed a file folder to Jack. "We just got a call from the lab with the DNA results on the body found in the trunk of Dian's car," she waited for him to open the file and finished, "It's definitely Dian Grebo."

Sam immediately perked up. "I could call downstairs and have them stop Sanya before she leaves the building. " Pulling her cell phone out of her pocket, she added, "Her connection to Dian is enough cause for us to detain her for forty-eight hours."

Jack waved his hand, motioning for her to hang up. "Not yet."

Clutching the cell in her hand, Sam looked incredulously at Jack. "You can't seriously be telling me that we're just going to let her go. She's clearly involved in all of this and after the way she acted in the interview..." she paused, gritting her teeth before finishing, "We can't just let her get away."

"If we drag her back here, her lawyer is going to be shouting harassment up and down the hallways. Martin's name is already being dragged through the mud. I don't want to add more fuel to the fire." He met Sam's eyes, an unspoken agreement passing between them before he looked over at the rest of them, his eyes moving steadily among the entire team. "When," he paused and said again with stronger emphasis, "_When _we bring her in again I want enough evidence to arrest her."

"That's going to be tricky, Jack," Viv announced with deflated inflection. "Draper called looking for you. He's on his way back from Martin's apartment. He said he knows that Martin is missing and that we've been looking for him. He's on the warpath."

"Perfect," Jack grumbled before taking a deep breath. Danny could almost see Jack's mind working, plotting out their next move. Sure enough, seconds later he pointed to Vivian and Elena and said, "I want the two of you to go talk to Nina. Tell her about Dian. Let's see if she is surprised or not." He turned to face Danny and Sam. "Go talk to that waitress, Michelle." He looked pointedly at Danny. "If memory serves, you said she was very scared of Sanya so go see her at her apartment. Maybe she'll be more willing to talk if she's someplace she feels safer."

"What about you?" Vivian asked. "If you want to avoid Draper, you better get out of here now."

Jack's lips twitched, almost smirking, as he replied, "Who says I want to avoid him?" He started down the hall to his office, patted her on the shoulder and said, "If he's been watching Risto for as long as he claims, I want to know why he didn't notice that Sanya might have been having an affair."

With her brow furrowed, Sam stepped forward and asked Jack's retreating form, "You think he might have known about Martin and Sanya."

Jack stopped, turned to face her and replied, "I don't know if he did, but he should have."

They all watched Jack disappear into his office when Viv cleared her throat and said, "You heard the man, let's get out of here."

XoX

A short while later, he and Sam were on the road to Michelle's apartment. Danny slowed the car behind a yellow cab as the light at the intersection switched to red. Still anxious from the day's revelations, he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited. Never patient when he was antsy, he craned his neck to try and check the status of the light when he noticed Sam staring out the passenger window, a sad expression on her face.

Double checking that the light was still red, he asked, "You okay?"

Watching her for a beat, he could see her bite her bottom lip, taking a moment to find her words.

"What if she's right?" she said at last.

"Who?"

"Sanya," Sam breathed, her eyes still trained on the cityscape. "What if she's right? That it's my fault. That I am the reason that Martin would get involved with someone like her."

"No," he quickly replied, shaking his head. "I don't really know what happened between the two of you," he paused, stealing a glance at her, "but I know that Martin seemed to still care for you." Sam still wouldn't look over at him but simply tilted her head as if not believing him. He decided to try another tactic, so with his eyes straight ahead he added, "Besides, he was the one who ended things, right? You can't be the one who initiated the break-up and blame the other person."

Sam faced forward, lowered her head and softly breathed, "Yes, you can."

He turned to look at Sam. "I don't understand."

"I…I was," she started and paused, staring out the windshield but then not really looking at anything as she searched for the right adjective, "Unfair to him."

"How?" he asked, although as soon as she said the word he couldn't help but think she was right. His mind easily recalled how when Martin first joined the team, he was unwilling to talk to him about his feelings toward Sam, taking all of Danny's teasing and jokes in stride but never arguing or agreeing. Later, he knew that something had evolved between Martin and Sam when he spied them on the balcony during the Colleen McGrath case. And when Sam went missing he witnessed first hand how desperate Martin was to find her, so much so that he was willing to harm someone during an interview to get information about where she was.

After they officially revealed they were a couple, he started to notice how different they would act around each other and even towards him. Danny continued to tease Martin, joking about how he could see them living in a house in the suburbs, raising a family. But this time, instead of looking embarrassed and shrugging him off, Martin would just shake his head with a melancholy expression on his face and make a lame joke or change the subject. It was very clear how uncertain Martin was about Sam but at the same time, it was still very clear to Danny how much he cared for her, too.

However, when it came to Sam, she was evasive, defensive. He never understood it but he couldn't get her to talk to him about why. He would try and crack jokes but she wouldn't play along, always looking serious, if uncertain as well. The only time he witnessed first hand how deep her feelings ran was when Martin was shot but even then, she refused to talk to him, instead demanding to be left alone. He wished he had the courage to force her to talk to him but he was so wrecked by what had happened, his guilt so strong that he couldn't console someone about something where he felt partly responsible.

Of course, he also thought that this was how he and Sam were a lot alike. Each felt too much and didn't know how to handle it so they would try and contain it, bottling it up inside while pretending to have it all under control on the outside. He used humor while she appeared tough and in total control. But no matter what disguise they wore, it was only to mask the fact that they were falling apart internally.

Sighing heavily, Sam quietly replied, "Sanya was right when she said that Martin has a Prince Charming complex." Danny nodded, knowing that was true; not that Sam saw him, her eyes focused on the elderly couple exiting a restaurant on the corner. "But when we got together, I wasn't exactly looking for a happily ever after. I wasn't ready for the life and relationship he wanted; I had too many unresolved things in my life."

"So why did you?" he gently asked, feeling like those missing pieces of the Martin and Sam puzzle were beginning to fit.

"There were things going on and I felt this…this need to be with someone." Danny noticed that the light had switched to green and the cab in front pulled out ahead of him. Pressing on the accelerator he quickly glanced at Sam, hoping that she wouldn't stop talking just because they were moving again. But when he looked at her, he saw her reach up and rub a tear from the corner of her eye with her index finger. She inhaled a shaky breath and said, "I knew how Martin felt about me. He had been pretty clear about that."

Danny worked his jaw, a wave of anger rushing through him at the thought of what Sam had done to Martin. "So you were just using him?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "I just…I knew that I had been so messed up when it came to…men in my life and it got me nowhere. I had wasted so much of my life on ideas I had in my head and that night, I decided that I needed to break my pattern. I needed to try for that guy who I had always avoided." She reached up again, and he turned in time to see her wipe some tears from her cheeks. "I thought it was time for me to be with someone who was open about how he cared about me."

The light clicked to yellow so Danny slowed the car to a stop and asked, "Then what happened?"

"I was so concerned with what I was going through I didn't think of how it would affect him. I didn't make it easy for Martin to be with me," she confessed, her tone choked with emotion. "I always felt bad afterwards but… but it's hard to let someone in when you're so worried what they would think of you if they found out who you really are."

"What do you mean?" he replied. He saw Sam had looked away and was gnawing so firmly on her bottom lip it reminded him of when he was a young boy trying to keep a secret from the priests and nuns. He reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder but as soon as his palm made contact he could feel her entire body tense up so he let it fall away. "We all know who you are and we all care about you."

Sam looked over at him as if he was sweet but naïve. Using both of her hands, she wiped any remaining tears from her face and mumbled, "I just have a lot of regrets in my life." She blew out a long breath, composing herself. "And I guess I just today realized that Martin is one of them. I really do think I loved him but just not enough. And not in the way he needed or deserved." She forced a smile and met his eyes. "I just hope that I can tell him that I'm sorry for…for the way things turned out."

He stared at her for a long beat, his gut shouting at him that she wasn't telling him everything. He suspected that she was lying but about what he couldn't be sure. He started to say something when a car horn honked behind him. He looked up at the light and saw that it had changed to green.

He glanced quickly at Sam who motioned to the road ahead and said, "Go. I'm fine." A few more tears found their way out of her eyes and she reached up to wipe them away, jokingly saying, "Sorry, my damn hormones have been so screwed up since the pregnancy."

He studied her one last time, still not believing her entirely but knowing that they needed to go. He pushed his foot down on the gas and rolled them through the intersection. He wanted to press her but knew it wasn't the time. Besides, he had his own issues in his life and he disliked being asked about them as much as Sam. They were quite alike in that way, too. Each doing their best to pretend that who they were now had no connection to the person they were growing up.

XoX

A short while later they reached Michelle's apartment building. After getting directions to her apartment from the elderly men playing checkers on the stoop, Danny and Sam walked down the non-descript hallway that looked like any other apartment building in Queens. As he walked, he stole a glance at Sam, trying to gauge if she was going to be okay conducting an interview. She may have exposed a vulnerable side of herself in the car but now, she was looking every bit the cool, collected special agent he knew her to be.

They stopped in front of a door marked 2G and knocked.

A few seconds later, the door creaked open a few inches, the chain still in place, and Michelle's face appeared. She looked a lot like how he remembered her except her short brown hair now hung loosely just below her shoulders. Looking at them from between the small space where the door was ajar, she asked, "Can I help you?"

Danny smiled his most reassuring smile. "Hello, Michelle. I don't know if you remember me, but I'm special agent Danny Taylor. We talked a few months ago at Dobro Scre."

She nodded timidly. "You were asking questions about Dian." Her eyes darted worriedly between him and Sam as she quickly added, "I still haven't seen him."

"We know," Sam replied, studying Michelle. "Dian's dead."

"He's…he's dead?" Michelle asked, looking like a frightened puppy.

"Can we come in?" Danny asked.

He could see Michelle hesitate, trying to come up with some excuse to deny them when Sam stepped a little closer and softly said, "It would be better if we could talk in private than in the hallway for everyone to listen."

Michelle nodded and closed the door. They could hear the chain rattle as it was unlocked and then the door reopened. "Come in," Michelle said as she stepped aside so they could enter.

Walking inside, Danny looked around the sparse but impeccably clean apartment. What little furniture she did have looked second hand but well taken care of by its new owner. There was a sofa against the far wall with a navy blue slipcover, a comfy looking chair, and a small coffee table with a small bouquet of wildflowers sitting in an old jelly jar. Against the opposite wall was an old card table with a lace tablecloth and two mismatched chairs.

Danny and Sam walked to the center of the room, each stealthily surveying the apartment as Michelle closed the door and walked over, motioning to the living area and asking them to sit down.

They sat on the sofa while Michelle sat on the chair, tucking her hands under her thighs, looking anxious. "I don't know how I can help you. Like I said before, I hardly knew Dian and I'm not working at the bar anymore."

"Why not?" Danny asked, leaning forward and propping an elbow on his knee.

"Sanya transferred me to one of the dry cleaners that Risto owns," Michelle replied, still looking upset.

"Why?"

Michelle shrugged. "I don't know," she said, unconvincingly.

Danny and Sam shared skeptical looks and he leaned forward and said, "Michelle, I know that you're intimidated by Sanya but I promise you that we won't mention your name or what we discussed here."

Gnawing on her bottom lip, she replied, "I can't…"

Trying another tactic, Sam met Michelle's eyes and softly said, "We wouldn't put you in this position if we didn't have a strong reason, Michelle. We just found out that Dian's is dead and another man is missing. We need your help."

"Oh my God," Michelle gasped. "How did you guys find out?" She jumped up and started pacing the small length of her apartment. "She's going to think it was me that told." She began wringing her hands. "Oh my God…"

Danny glanced at Sam in time to see her look as confused by Michelle's comment as he was. He stood up and carefully approached her, murmuring, "Calm down, it's going to be okay. I meant what I said: we'll leave you out of this."

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "You don't know how she is, anyone talks back to her or upsets her in any way. They…they just disappear." She looked fearfully at Danny. "You want me to end up like Dian?"

"No one is going to hurt you if you can just tell us what we need to know," he replied, trying to sound as soothing as possible. "We can't protect you if you continue letting Sanya get away with what she does."

"Whatever you say won't leave this room, I promise," Sam firmly said.

Michelle wrapped her arms closer to her and for a moment Danny was sure she was just going to keep quiet when she swallowed and began, "I really don't know what I heard but Sanya was definitely not happy that I heard it…"

XoX

_Dressed in a black halter-top and skinny jeans, Michelle wandered the bar, manning her tables and taking drink orders. She looked pleasant and at ease as she moved around the busy bar. _

"_Hey, can I have some more peanuts?" a customer asked Michelle as she passed his table. _

"_Sure," she replied, grabbing the empty basket and walking to the bar. "Be right back." _

_She walked behind the bar to get the box of peanuts and noted that the bartender, Jakob, was nowhere to be found. Assuming he was in the back, she picked up the empty box and tossed it in the trash on her way to the storage room. _

_As she moved down the hall, she heard heated voices coming from the office. _

"_And I'm telling you that this is a bad idea," Sanya growled. "I'm warning you, take a step back here."_

"_I'm sorry, but you know I have no control how that works," Jakob replied._

_Inside Michelle could hear chairs being shoved around and something that sounded like a box, drop to the floor. Their voices went lower and Michelle couldn't understand what they were saying so she found herself gravitating closer, trying to understand. _

"_You do this and you will be a dead man," Sanya argued when the door suddenly flew open and she stormed out, stopping short when at the sight of Michelle standing in the hallway. With anger written all over her face, she marched up to Michelle and demanded, "How much did you hear?" _

_Instinctively, Michelle took a step backwards but the only thing behind her was a wall and ended up with her back pressed up against it. "Nothing, I was, uh," she started to stammer, as scared as a cat in a face-off with a pit bull, "I, uh, was just going to the storage room to get more peanuts." _

_Jakob exited the room, witnessing the exchange between the two women. Working her jaw, Sanya gave Michelle a hard look before turning to face Jakob and saying, "This isn't over." _

_That said, Sanya gave Michelle one look before turning around and marching back into her office, slamming the door shut behind her. _

_Jakob stared at the shut door for a beat as Michelle stepped closer and quietly asked, "Is everything all right?" _

_He met her eyes, a hard expression on his face and replied, "You better go get those nuts. We have customers waiting." _

XoX

"The next day I get a call from Risto that I am being transferred from the bar to the dry cleaner's," Michelle finished. "He told me that Sanya said I might be more useful there."

Danny processed the information and asked, "The bartender that she argued with, is he the same bartender that she stabbed in the hand?"

"Yeah," she replied, sorrowfully.

"And he's missing now?"

Michelle nodded. "I was working at the dry cleaner's when one of the waitresses told me that Jakob hadn't reported to work in a few days. No one had heard from him." She continued gnawing on her lower lip. "My friend tried asking Sanya about it, but she just told her that he took off and quit."

"Just like Dian," Danny surmised with a slow nod. His heart thundered in his chest at learning that men around Sanya have a tendency to disappear.

"How long ago was this?" Sam asked, jotting the information into her notepad.

"A few weeks, maybe," Michelle replied. "I really don't know for sure. Like I said, I wasn't working there anymore."

As Sam finished writing the information in her notebook, she looked up and met Danny's eyes, each knowing that this was not good news. Not willing to discuss it in front of Michelle, Danny looked at her and said, "Thank you, Michelle. You've been very helpful." He watched as Sam stood up and started to the door before refocusing his attention on the young woman. "Don't worry, we'll leave you out of this but if you learn anything else," he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a business card, handing it to her, "please call me, okay?"

Michelle clutched the card tightly in her hand and nodded as Danny turned to leave.

He met up with Sam in the hallway and saw that she was already on the phone with Jack. He listened as Jack told them to hang tight but to not go back to the office yet, saying it would be best to avoid being forced to talk to Draper about what they had learned so far. You can't be accused of lying or withholding evidence if you never talked to begin with. It was a dance they were all well trained in: plausible deniability.

Hanging up, Sam met his eyes and he could see fear written all over her face. She was worried what Dian's ultimate fate meant for Martin. He knew that it was different, Martin left of his own accord but if Risto didn't like the idea of the FBI investigating someone linked to him… No, best not go there. Not yet.

Needing to reassure himself as much as Sam, in his most encouraging voice he said, "It's going to be okay, we're going to find Martin alive and well."

"And if we do, then what?" she asked, turning her head to face him. "We arrest him? It's not like he was kidnapped. As far as we know, he's running, Danny." She looked back down the hall to Michelle's closed door and finished, "He's mixed up in whatever Sanya and Risto have going on and if the body count is rising, then the big question becomes: is he at risk of being killed by Risto and Sanya or does he face life in prison for associating with them in the first place?" She swallowed and sadly finished, "Either way, it's a no win situation."

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A/N: Thank you, Anmodo, for all your hard work and constructive criticism. I promise to use a spell check next time. LOL. ;-) And as always and forever, thank you all for taking time to read my little fic. Thank you.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

XoXoXoXoX

"Here we go," Elena announced to the team as she set the tray of food on the table and sat down opposite of Danny.

After talking with Michelle, Danny and Sam rendezvoused with Elena, Vivian, and Jack at a small deli in the Brooklyn. Jack didn't want them to go back to the office until they had more information because more than likely Draper would just sequester them all for interviews and they would lose more time. So for the last few hours, they set up temporary shop in the back of Joe's Sandwich Shop. Joe was an old friend of Jack's and had no problem with them occupying his tables for a long stretch of time.

Once they all arrived, they shared what information they had learned. He and Sam updated them on what Michelle had told them, from the conversation she overheard in the office at the back of bar between Sanya and Jakob to Jakob's disappearance. In turn, Vivian and Elena told them about informing Nina about Dian's death. They both agreed that if Nina was somehow involved, she gave them an Oscar-winning performance of a bereaved ex-girlfriend. She seemed truly devastated by Dian's death. When they were all done with their reports of how their interviews went, Jack told them that while he was careful to not spill the beans about Martin's connection to Sanya, Draper claimed to have no idea if Sanya was cheating on Risto. Jack also mentioned that there was something off in Draper's behavior, but he couldn't quite figure it out – at least not yet.

So here they sat around the table, everyone grabbing their order while still busily talking on their cells. They were all trying to get as much information as possible about the missing bartender, Jakob Pilav. It wasn't easy to do without bureau resources, but they didn't want to risk logging in to the FBI database and alerting Draper to their whereabouts. So instead, they were each calling in just about every personal favor they had asking for help. Debts were being called in and, in some cases, being owed.

Cradling his cell phone against his ear, Danny reached over and grabbed the small red plastic basket holding his turkey sandwich and potato chips giving Elena look of thanks. With a small smile on her lips, she removed the pickle spear from her basket and wordlessly placed it in his. She hated pickles but he loved them. This was something she knew about him and remembered. He didn't know why, but this tiniest of gestures during this chaotic time made him feel warm and loved.

"Hawes," a man's voice announced in Danny's ear.

"Hey Hawes, its Danny Taylor," he replied, shifting his attention back to the task at hand. Danny had met Jeff Hawes when they were training at Quantico and while Hawes was sent all the way to New Mexico to work white collar, they had remained good friends. More importantly, Hawes owed him. He had been in danger of failing out of the academy and Danny had worked tirelessly tutoring Hawes on legal jargon. So using his long held marker, he said, "I need you to do me a solid."

Without hesitation, Hawes replied, "You got it man, what's up?"

"I need you to pull anything you have on a Jakob Pilav, that's Jakob with a 'K' and P-I-L-A-V," Danny replied, reaching into his basket and grabbing a potato chip.

"No offense, but is there some reason you can't do this yourself?" In the background Danny could hear Hawes already typing the name on his keyboard. "This is pretty simple work."

"You're right, there's a reason," Danny evenly replied, not willing to offer much more of an explanation.

Taking the hint, Hawes said, "Give me an hour and I'll call you right back."

"Thanks, man," Danny replied before hanging up his phone. Snapping his phone shut, he set it down on the table and looked across the table at Elena who was alternating between taking bites of her chicken salad sandwich and answering questions to whomever she was talking to.

Danny picked up his sandwich and took a bite, while looking over at Sam who was sitting to his left, in the seat nearest the wall. Her elbow resting on the table and her head propped up in her hand, she hadn't touched her food yet, the basket shoved away from her as she talked on her cell phone.

"Did he take a nap?" she quietly asked. He didn't mean to eavesdrop but it's not like he could avoid hearing either. Judging by her tone and question, he assumed she was checking in with David's babysitter. "No, I'm not sure how much longer I will be here but Brian will be picking him up by six. He has the key so he should be fine…."

Danny heard a cell phone shrill and looked down to check his, seeing the call wasn't for him. At that exact moment he noticed Jack answer his own phone, saying, "Malone." Judging by the aggravated expression on Jack's face, Danny guessed it was Draper calling again. It seemed that the SAC of JTTF had been calling Jack every hour on the hour since Jack had left the office. He watched as Jack placed his hand over the receiver, and in a crackling voice said, "I...arse…. ape… do…yes…unnel…" before snapping his phone shut and setting it aside. He glanced at Danny and shrugged.

He didn't know how much longer they could keep Draper and JTTF at bay but Jack's antics at least bought them a little more time – and provided them with a little amusement as well.

This was pretty much how it went for the next hour until the return calls started to come in, each of them with almost the exact same answer: Jakob Pilav appeared out of thin air and seemed to have disappeared back into it.

"I don't understand. How can there be nothing?" Sam asked for the second time. "There's not even any information about his immigration status?"

Viv shook her head. "According to every single database out there, there is no record of Jakob Pilav ever officially entering the U.S. All of his information, his social security number, his rental history, credit history are very recent. There is no sign that he even existed before two years ago. No sign of any relatives, he lived alone and his neighbors said he kept to himself."

"And the only job on his record was at Dobro Scre." Jack worked his jaw and sighed heavily. "Risto must have smuggled him into the country and provided him with a fake social security number."

"So if he's here illegally, it's almost impossible to track him down," Elena lamented, shaking her head. "Especially if the only people we can verify he did have a connection with are Risto and Sanya. And we know they aren't going to offer any help."

Sam crumpled up the paper from her sandwich, balling it up and tossing it into her basket. She reached for her phone and declared, "Than we just have to keep looking. Someone other than Sanya knew him." She stared at the device in her hand but made no move to dial. There was no one left to call. "I mean, he lived here, someone out there has to know something…."

Danny turned to face her, her eyes fixed on the keypad of the phone, stress lines around her mouth as she pursed her lips frustrated. It was clear that as time passed, she was getting more worried and as a result, she was also growing angrier. He glanced around at the rest of team and he could see them all watching Sam, thinking the same thing but every one powerless to offer any hope. Because it seemed the more they learned, the more dire things became.

Suddenly Elena reached over, slid the laptop towards her, and opened it. "You're right. We just need to keep looking. Jakob and Martin have to be somewhere, right?" She gave Sam a reassuring smile and added, "We'll find them."

Sam gave her a sad, grateful smile as Elena began clicking on some keys. Danny tilted his head forward, rubbing his hands through his hair as he racked his mind trying to think of where to look next when he heard a familiar voice coming from the laptop speaker.

"Hey, Elena, I was wondering when you guys were going to be online," Mac announced.

Grinning, Elena replied, "Uno momento, chico," and shifted the laptop so they could all see the screen.

On the monitor Danny saw a video-conference window popped up in center of the screen, with Mac, their old tech, looking back at them. After his short stint in the Missing Persons Unit, he transferred to Cyber Crimes to work investigations into Internet fraud and monitoring online predators. He looked exactly as Danny remembered him, short brown hair and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Mac waved at them and said, "Hey guys."

"What are you doing?" Danny asked, perplexed.

Never one to resist an opportunity to tease, Mac slowly and carefully replied, "I am sitting down in my chair talking to this camera," he pointed to something above the screen, "that sends my image through something we like to call the Internet. I know it's scary, but I'm not really inside your computer."

"Still a smart ass, eh?" Danny quipped with a grin.

"You know it," Mac replied with a smile that faded as soon as he shifted his gaze to Jack. "I found what you were looking for."

"Where?" Jack asked, darkly.

"While Martin disabled the GPS on his phone, he still had it running so I managed to triangulate his location by isolating his last known ping off a cell phone tower," Mac explained as he clicked some keys on his keyboard. "I was able to narrow it down to a two mile radius. I cross-referenced it against the information you gave me," he shot Jack a look, "Which wasn't much." He pressed a few more keys. "Most buildings in that area are abandoned warehouses. One of which is owned by Divna Noc, Inc. Divna Noc means 'wonderful night' in Croatian, by the way."

"Get to the point already," Jack grumbled, already looking irritated.

"Right," Mac replied, chagrined. "Okay, so I looked up Divna Noc and it's a shell corporation owned by one Risto Mijatovic."

Even before Jack asked for the address, the entire team stood up and began gathering their things to head out. This was the first solid lead they had in two days and they were not about to waste a second of it.

Jack finished writing down the address and Danny looked over in time for Mac to wish them good luck before Jack shut the laptop and handed it back to Elena.

As Danny fished through his pockets, searching for his car keys, Jack cleared his throat and evenly said, "Before we do this, I need you to understand we're going this alone. We don't have warrants, we aren't going in with back-up and if Martin is there of his own will…" he trailed off, the implication lingering. The entire team shared looks, each knowing that their lives would be forever changed if they did have to arrest Martin, arrest one of their own. "So I need you to be sure that you can handle what may lie ahead. You all know this is nothing new for me," he shared a pointed look with Viv, "but if you have any doubts there will be no hard feelings if you want to stay behind."

Danny found his keys and pulled them out, gripping them in his hand. "We know the risks, Jack." He scanned the team, looks of conviction evident in all their eyes. "But this is Martin, and one-way or another, we owe it to him to be the ones to see this through to the end." He locked eyes with Jack and finished, "Besides, we aren't doing this alone. We're doing this as a team."

XoX

Danny slowed the car behind Jack's SUV as they both parked down a block from the warehouse along the Hudson River. The air was thick with cold salty air and in the background they could hear the horns of boats cruising past. They all stepped out, each wearing their Kevlar and FBI windbreakers as they un-holstered their weapons. Once they were all set, Jack announced that when they entered they were going to break into two teams: Vivian and Elena were team one and Jack, Danny, and Sam were team two. That settled, he gave them the 'go' nod and they stepped lightly but swiftly, moving close to the buildings trying to remain out of sight. As they moved closer, Viv accidentally tripped over a bottle, sending it spinning into the street. In reality it made a low clinking sound but when trying for a surprise sneak attack, it seemed to echo loudly against the brick walls. They all paused, staring and waiting to see if anyone was going to come rushing towards them but after a few seconds they decided they were safe and proceeded.

They carefully rounded the corner of one of the warehouses to find billows of smoke coming from a smoke stack on top of the supposed abandoned building they were here to raid. They all exchanged puzzled expressions as they neared when Danny smelled a scent that he recognized far too easily. It was something he smelled at least once over the last few days. The sulfuric aroma was similar to fatty pork on the grill or leather being tanned over an open fire. It wasn't a pleasant smell though, because it was also accompanied by a coppery, metallic scent, like a nauseatingly sweet perfume.

It was the sort of smell that once you inhale the smallest whiff, it never leaves your senses no matter how much you wish it would. Because the scent also came with a vision, the sort of mental image that haunts people for the rest of their lives.

"What is that?" Elena quietly asked, holding her hand to her nose as they moved closer.

Danny and Jack exchanged hard, knowing looks as Jack darkly replied, "Burning flesh."

Fueled by panicked adrenaline, Jack and Danny raced to the front door of the building, the rest of the team in tow. Danny grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open, shouting, "FBI!" When no one shot at them and they couldn't hear any noise coming from inside, Jack peered in to make sure they were in the clear. Giving them the 'all clear' signal, Jack entered followed immediately by Danny and the rest of the team. They found the spacious warehouse relatively empty except for a heavy wooden chair and table at the far corner of the warehouse floor. There was a staircase leading upstairs to the right and near the furniture in the corner was a door that looked like it headed to the basement.

With their guns raised, they moved further into the building and scanned it from floor to ceiling before Viv and Elena headed upstairs while Danny, Jack and Sam moved to the corner with the furniture. As he neared, Danny saw that there were leather straps on the arms and legs of the chair. The kind of straps you would use to tie someone in place, preventing them from struggling or fighting back. It was at that same moment that he noticed the blood, a lot of blood. Too much blood for whomever it came from to have survived. It was pooled around the floor at the base of the chair and splattered on the wall. There was also a trail leading from the chair across the floor and through the doorway leading down to the basement.

"Oh my God," Sam breathed, slightly lowering her gun as her eyes scanned the scene before her.

"Danny," Jack quietly called out. Danny looked over to see Jack jerk his chin to the doorway and motion for him to follow.

"Stay focused," Danny said to Sam as he passed. She nodded and raised her gun back up, giving the scene one final look before continuing to search the main floor.

Jack entered the basement first, following the trail of blood down every step. As soon as they reached bottom, the smoky smell assaulted every one of their senses. It was so thick he could also see it, feel it, and taste it. There was a loud whooshing sound coming from inside the furnace as he and Jack stepped closer. He recoiled as he neared, the heat so strong it was almost like an invisible force field protecting the furnace door. Spying a broken pipe in against the wall, he holstered his gun and grabbed it. Inching closer to the furnace, he held up his FBI windbreaker as a sort of shield for his face and to ease the burning sensation in his eyes. Danny held out the pipe to try and unlatch the furnace door by knocking on it with the end of the pipe. It took several tries but he finally managed to hit the latch in just the right way so that it slipped off, the door falling open.

Taking a few steps back, Jack and Danny craned their necks to see what was in the furnace. There, smothered in flames, was a dead body. It was coiled tightly in a fetal position as bright blue, yellow and orange flames whipped all around it, searing the skin and bone.

With his heart pounding so hard in his chest, he could almost feel it bruising his ribs, Danny squinted, trying to see if he recognized any sign of Martin in the body before him. But it was impossible. The skin was charred black and the skull unidentifiable that all he could know for sure was that the body was human.

They heard footsteps rushing down the steps and they both spun around with their guns trained to find Draper and Jenkins staring back at them with their weapons drawn as well.

Draper dropped his gun and locking eyes with Jack, shouted, "Give me one reason I shouldn't have you and everyone of your agents censured right now?"

Jack lowered his gun, still gripping the handle as it hung loosely at his side. He licked his lips and tilted his head to the furnace and replied, "Because right now we both have bigger things to worry about."

Confused but curious, Draper stepped down the final few steps and walked over. Danny stepped aside as Draper looked inside the furnace. As soon as he realized what he was looking at, he whipped around and shouted to Jenkins, "Get me a fire extinguisher and call CSU and the fire department to come down right now!"

Jenkins nodded and dashed back upstairs, narrowly missing Sam as she came down. She didn't pay him much mind as she continued down the stairs, a sad expression on her face.

Danny, doing what he did best, put on a brave face and met her at the bottom of the stairs in two long strides, blocking her from coming any closer. "Sam, you don't want to see this."

While she stayed still, not moving any closer, she looked over at the open furnace door. He knew she couldn't see anything but the fire inside, the body too far back inside the furnace to be in her line of vision. With her eyes focused on the flames, she shakily said, "It's alright, I know it's him."

Shaking his head, Danny vehemently argued, "We don't know that. It could be anyone else who pissed Risto off. We only know his cell phone pinged here, that's it."

Sam shifted her gaze back to him, her eyes welling with tears and her chin quivering as she slowly held up her fist for him to see. "I found this," she stated in a soft voice, barely a whisper.

Wordlessly, he raised an outstretched hand and she dropped a gold chain into his waiting palm. He looked down to see the thick chain with a small medallion, covered in dried blood. He studied it closer and saw that the medallion was of St. Michael: The Patron Saint of Law Enforcement.

Danny knew the medallion well. It was the same medallion he had seen Martin wear around his neck.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
A/N: TREMENDOUS debt of thanks to Anmodo for her help on this one. Not only did she really know just how to tweak this chapter but she also turned it around so fast that I was able to post quickly. And as far as the ending goes, all I can do is ask is that you guys have a little faith in me.

As always and forever, thank you for reading.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

XoXoXoXoX

Danny and Jack stood off against the far wall of the warehouse, waiting to talk to Draper. Over in the corner, Danny watched as the CSU team photographed the crime scene, the flashes of their camera's stinging his tired eyes. The techs moved methodically about the warehouse floor, crouching down, dipping and dabbing cotton swabs into the various blood drops, writing the information down and carefully placing them in vials to be packed into a nearby case to take to the lab for analysis. They looked so calm, analytical and detached and Danny envied them for it. He felt emotionally connected to every gram of the blood, hoping against hope that it wasn't Martin's.

Forcing himself to look away, he shifted his feet and brought the back of his hand up to his nose, trying to ignore the stench that hung heavy in the air. Through the open doorway, he caught a glimpse of Vivian, Elena and Samantha leaning against the hood of a police car, waiting for Jack to come out and given them confirmation. Viv's gaze was focused on something out of his line of vision but if he were to guess, he would say she wasn't really looking at anything but just deep in her own thoughts. Danny knew that Martin and Viv had a special relationship, that she was often the one Martin turned to for advice on how to be a better agent. While Viv wasn't one to break down in public, often keeping her emotions in a box, he recognized the signs of her hurting at the thought of Martin possibly being dead. He knew because they were all hurting.

Shifting his gaze to Sam and Elena, he saw that Sam's head was lowered as Elena leaned in, whispered something in her ear and gently rubbed her back. While the rest of the team refused to believe that it was Martin's body in the furnace, Sam was inconsolable. She was convinced that the medallion was evidence enough. She told them that Martin's deceased aunt, Bonnie, had given it to him when he graduated from Quantico, assuring her nephew that St. Michael, the warrior, would protect Martin in his work. Danny resisted the urge to scoff at hearing the story because if anyone on this team was the perpetual target to get in harm's way, it was Martin. In the six years on the team, he had been thumped on the head, shot twice, knocked down a flight of stairs, battled a drug addiction, participated and witnessed enough gun fire to merit an honorary membership to the NRA and now this... but then Danny reminded himself that each time Martin bounced back stronger than ever so there was no way that this could be the end.

"What's the word?" he heard Jack's gravelly voice ask.

Danny turned around to see whom Jack was addressing when he spotted Draper headed straight for them. With his heart racing and a lump swelling in his throat, he watched the SAC's face for any sort of confirmation or denial on the identity of the body but the man's face was a blank slate, unreadable.

Draper came to a stop in front of them and unceremoniously announced, "The coroner said the body is still too hot to get close enough to try and make an accurate ID. He's working on it, but he can't be sure until he gets the body out of the furnace."

"They haven't taken it out yet?" Danny asked in disbelief.

Draper looked annoyed by Danny's accusatory tone, but his expression seemed to soften, understanding the cause for his concern. "Like I said, the body is still too hot. If they move it now, they risk the flesh…" he paused, thinking twice about his phrasing and finished, "They don't want to compromise the evidence, like I said, soon."

Danny nodded, hating having to wait but at the same time grateful that for a little bit longer he could still cling to the hope that Martin could still be out there alive and well.

"How did you know we'd be here?" Jack asked, clearly taking advantage of the change of subject.

"Lucy," Draper tersely replied, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. "It took an exceptionally long time, but once I had Jenkins stand over her shoulder long enough she was finally able to track you down using the GPS on your cell phones."

Jack and Danny exchanged chagrined looks, mentally cursing themselves for overlooking something so obvious. And then Danny felt his lips curve into a small smile, touched at learning just how far Lucy would go to help them.

They heard some movement over by the basement stairwell and looked over to see Jenkins and the coroner headed their way. Jenkins was carrying a metal tray filled with what looked like two pieces of coal while the coroner carefully pealed off his latex gloves and put them in his pocket. The three men stepped up, meeting the others halfway but Jack was the one to talk first.

"Well?"

The coroner frowned, hesitant. "While there is no way I can positively ID the body until I run it against dental records, I can say it is a female between 25 and 35 years old."

"Female?" Danny replied, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. "Are you sure?"

The coroner nodded. "Yes. Once I was able to get a proper look at the body, I was able to tell by the rib cage and pelvic bone the gender as well as the fact that she is also approximately 5'5 with brown hair."

Jack looked at Draper and commented, "That description fits Sanya Kovac."

"It's not her," Jenkins replied, holding up the tray he had been holding. "We found these items when they were extricating the body. They were tossed into the furnace but landed on the inside nearest the door and away from a majority of the heat so they didn't completely incinerate."

Danny looked down at the items on the tray. There was what looked like a woman's watch and wallet. Jack pulled his pen from his breast pocket and using it, flipped the wallet open. Danny literally felt his breath hitch when he saw the driver's license photo. There, the image melted against its plastic sleeve was a photo of Michelle, the waitress he and Sam had interviewed hours earlier.

Guilt gripped Danny's chest and squeezed so tight he almost couldn't breathe. He had promised Michelle that she would be left out of it. He promised her.

"You recognize this woman?" Draper asked, clearly recognizing the anguish on Danny's face.

"We interviewed her," Jack said, cutting Danny off before he could answer. "She was a waitress at Dobro Scre."

"So this is definitely connected to Risto and Sanya," Draper commented, sharing a look with Jenkins as he motioned to the watch and wallet. "Pack those up and get them back to the lab, see if you can lift any usable prints." He shifted his attention to the coroner and said, "I'd also like to get those autopsy results as soon as possible."

After a brief discussion about how long the autopsy would take, Jenkins and the coroner went off to do as instructed. Once they were out of sight, Draper rested his hands on his hips and looked back at Danny and Jack. "While we're sure that your guy isn't dead, we also know that he's still out there running and that he's directly linked to this crime scene. In fact, judging by the fact that we found his precious St. Michael medal, as far as I'm concerned, he's my number one suspect."

"And I _think_ something bigger is going on here," Jack responded, his inflection edgy and hard, "but you're too busy focusing on my guy to see it."

"Tell you what? We'll talk about your concerns about how I'm treating 'your guy' during our conversation with Van Doren," he replied, squaring his shoulders. "In the meantime, you and your team should head back."

Jack narrowed his eyes at Draper. "Are you dismissing me?"

"Not at all," Draper replied, dripping with sarcasm. "I am _politely_ requesting that you and your entire team go back to the office so that I, along with Oclyzk and Van Doren, can get some answers as to what you've been doing all day that led you here." His passive aggressiveness was loud and clear as he narrowed his eyes at Jack and finished, "Or did you not think that we would want to know what in the hell you have been up to?"

Danny saw Jack's jaw tighten and the vein on his temple throbbing, sure indicators that he was pissed off but when he spoke, he sounded very calm as he replied, "No, that's fine. We'll go back right now."

Eyeing Jack suspiciously, not quite trusting the man's sudden compliance, Draper managed a slight nod. "Good." He pulled out his cell phone and started to walk back to the basement, not so casually adding, "I will call there right now and let them know to expect you."

Watching Draper walk away but waiting until he was out of earshot, Danny leaned in towards Jack and under his breath, asked, "You weren't serious, were you?"

With his eyes boring holes into Draper's back, Jack smirked and replied. "Of course not." He pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket and jerked his chin towards the direction of the door. "Come on, let's go tell the rest of them that it's not Martin."

After Jack told them that the body was indeed not Martin's, everyone exchanged sighs and hugs of relief. He could actually see the color return to Sam's face the moment she heard the news but as quickly as it came, it drained back out when he told her who the body belonged to. He wished he didn't have to tell her, knowing she would feel as culpable in Michelle's death as him but she needed to know.

She closed her eyes and pressed the heel of her palm against her forehead. "We promised her she'd be safe," she painfully stammered. "We told her not to worry and then we just left."

Reaching over and gingerly placing his hand on her shoulder he whispered, "We…we couldn't have known that they would find out."

She dropped her hand from her face, meeting his eyes. "She was alive less than six hours ago, Danny. If we had just put her in protective custody or… I don't know… something."

"She didn't drop any secrets, she just told us about a conversation she overheard," Danny rationalized, using his words as a balm against his own feelings of guilt. "We would have been overreacting if we had done more than we had."

Sam met his eyes, nodding in acceptance when Jack suddenly said, "She didn't give you much information but someone thought she had."

Viv crossed her arms, her eyes locked on Jack. "What are you thinking?"

Jack worked his jaw, thinking. "The pieces aren't fitting." He shoved his hands in his pants pockets and looked over at where the CSU techs were loading evidence bags into their van. "Someone obviously found out that you talked to Michelle, but we need to figure out how. After you talked to her, you didn't go back to the office and we only talked about it to each other. So unless she was being watched…"

"But why her?" Danny asked, folding his arms and shaking his head. "She wasn't a key player. In fact, the second she came close to being involved in Sanya's business they transferred her out. I don't understand why they targeted her."

"We could have been followed," Sam wondered aloud. "Maybe they thought that she told us something that could be used against Risto and Sanya."

"Still doesn't track," Danny retorted, adjusting his sunglasses. "Besides, I'd like to think one of us would have noticed."

Jack turned around and looked back at the warehouse, commenting, "You know, when we got here the scene was still so fresh, the wallet hadn't even burned up."

"Yeah, like whoever did it left in a hurry," Danny nodded, watching as the coroner escorted the body bag to the waiting hearse. "Almost like whoever did it was warned ahead of time that we were on our way."

"But it wasn't just us," Samantha quietly added, almost conspiratorial. "Draper's team got here within minutes of when we did."

Jack turned around, a tilt of his head indicating he was in agreement. "Draper said that Lucy told him where we were headed by tracking our phones."

"You said that Draper suspected that someone was feeding Risto intel," Viv said, eyebrow raised as she moved closer to where he and Jack stood.

"He also accused Martin of being the one doing it and there is no way Martin could have known we would come here," Elena said, moving nearer as well. It almost felt like they were literally closing ranks. "Much less warn anyone else."

Danny glanced over to see Draper and Jenkins talking to the coroner. "Someone tipped Risto off that we were coming."

"Who?" Viv asked, puzzled.

"If we can figure that out, we may be able to figure out how Martin plays into this," Jack commented, his eyes trained on Draper and Jenkins.

"Does that make you think Martin is being falsely accused?" Sam asked with a tinge of hopefulness in her voice.

Jack's face was blank, unreadable as he evenly replied, "Let's just say it makes it easier to give him the benefit of the doubt."

They all stood there, unsure where this newest turn of events meant for them when Vivian's cell phone rang. She pulled it out and answered, "Agent Johnson." Her brow was furrowed as she listened before she raised her head, her eyes wide. "He's there now?" Her words grabbed everyone's attention and all eyes were on her as she spoke. Knowing they were all listening, she glanced up at them but kept talking to the caller. "No, don't do anything. We're on our way, thanks for calling." Pulling the phone away from her ear, she anxiously informed them, "That was Martin's neighbor. She said someone just entered his apartment."

"Let's go," Sam said already turning to leave.

"No," Jack replied, stopping her in her tracks.

She looked back over him, clearly agitated. "Why not?"

Jack took a breath and calmly said, "Danny and I will go. I want you, Elena and Vivian to go back to the office." He was clearly resolved in his decision. "Olcyzk and Van Doren are expecting us to come back and we need to give them some sign of cooperation if we want to be kept in the loop."

"Jack…" Sam began, gearing up for an argument.

"I'm not cutting you out, but I think Danny and I should handle this," he replied, unwavering. He motioned for Danny to follow him and started to the car.

"What do you want us to tell them?" Elena asked, tilting her head questioningly as they passed. "They're going to want to know where you are."

Jack shrugged. "I don't care, just make up some excuse to buy us time," he said as reached his SUV.

Danny jogged softly behind him, giving Sam an apologetic look before glancing at Elena in time to see her mouth, 'Be careful.' He nodded, mouthing back, 'Love you.' He opened the passenger door and as soon as he sat down, Jack starting pulling away.

They drove there quickly, the cherry on top of the car flashing its red light and the siren wailing so they could speed and run traffic lights. When they were within a block of Martin's apartment they cut the light and siren, not wanting to announce their arrival, hoping to have the element of surprise on their side. Still wearing their Kevlar and FBI windbreakers, they entered the building. Danny took the stairs while Jack rode the elevator so if whoever was in Martin's apartment tried to leave, they would run into one of them.

Danny entered Martin's floor first, stepping quietly into the hallway when he noticed Martin's neighbor poking her head out. She went wide-eyed at the sight of him and anxiously began pointing her finger at Martin's door, softly whispering, "He's still there."

He nodded that he heard her and motioned for her to go back into her apartment. She nodded, disappearing inside and shutting her door. He could hear her bolting the locks when the elevator arrived and Jack stepped out.

From opposite ends of the hallway, they each quietly walked up to Martin's door. Danny carefully reached over and tried the doorknob, finding it unlocked. He made sure Jack was covering him before he quietly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. There was no sign of anyone in the living room so they moved inside and stealthily stepped towards Martin's bedroom. The bedroom door was wide open and they saw someone crouched down near the window, pulling up one of the floorboards. He was wearing jeans and a light gray sweatshirt hoody with the hood draped over his head so they couldn't see his face. He was so engrossed in whatever he was doing he didn't hear them enter.

Jack stepped silently towards the unknown figure and placed his gun at the man's back while Danny stayed a few feet away with his gun trained in case the man tried anything.

As soon as they were secure in their positions, Jack coolly said, "FBI. Put your hands up where I can see them." They man remained perfectly still for a beat before slowly raising his hands and placing them behind his head. "Now slowly stand up and turn around."

Danny thought that considering all the bombshells being dropped in the last 24 hours he couldn't be surprised any more, but when he saw the face of the man in the hoody he realized he was wrong. He found himself stunned, once again, when he saw that the man who broke into Martin's apartment was none other than their missing bartender: Jakob Pilav.

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A/N: Huge thanks to Anmodo for her speedy turnaround as well as her input and hard work fixing my many errors. I hope you all are breathing a little easier now. ;-)


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**XoXoXoXoX**

Danny stared at the man he knew to be Jakob Pilav. Even beneath the cover of the hoody he looked exactly like his driver's license photo: square jaw, a long pointy nose and heavy lidded eyes. While his long dark brown hair was concealed, there was no mistaking his identity.

With his gun still trained on him, Danny stammered, "What…what are you doing here?"

Jakob's eyes darted between Danny and Jack as he nervously bit his bottom lip, his expression clearly indicating he was carefully considering how to answer the question. What plausible story he could conjure up to explain his presence in a federal agent's apartment.

When it appeared that no answer was forthcoming, Jack cocked his gun, keeping it steady and level with the man's face and said, "We asked you a question. I suggest you start talking." Adjusting his grip, he tilted his head and added, "Or maybe you would feel more comfortable if we were to arrest you and take you downtown?"

"No!" Jakob quickly argued, his eastern European accent thick even through the monosyllabic word. He anxiously stepped forward and Danny and Jack both reacted by tightening their grips on their guns. Message received, Jakob stepped back and more calmly repeated, "No, I can't go there."

"Then start talking," Danny ordered, still reeling.

Jakob blew out a breath but remained silent, his eyes darting between them. Gnawing on his bottom lip, he fidgeted slowly, shifting his feet slowly side-to-side. "I cannot explain but you must let me go…"

"Oh, yeah, give me one good reason," Danny snapped back, growing increasingly agitated.

Jakob's face tensed up and he snapped back, "I told you, I can't tell you why…"

"That's it, you're under arrest…" Jack growled, motioning with his gun for Jakob to turn around.

Jakob's hands flew up in surrender. "Alright, alright," he licked his lips, glancing worriedly at them. When he spoke again, any trace of his accent was gone as he replied, "My name isn't Jakob Pilav. It's Will Vidak. I'm with JTTF."

Jack shared a confused look with Danny before refocusing his hard gaze on the man standing at the other end of his gun. "You better start talking right now."

"Alright," Will agreed before saying, "But first I need to make a call."

Danny's gun flew back up, aimed at Jakob….Will, whatever his name was, as he said, "He's lying…_you're lying_!"

"No I'm not!" Will argued, shaking his head and giving them a pleading look. "But I really need to make this call…I assure you I can explain everything."

"What makes you think we should believe you?" Jack asked, still skeptical.

"Look, just call SAC Draper yourself," Will replied, earnestly. With slumped shoulders, he shifted his gaze to Jack. "Make sure you only talk to him, no one else. When you do, ask him if he is happy with his long-distance provider."

"His long-distance provider?" Danny repeated.

"Yeah," Will replied. "It's our code."

Jack eyed him before glancing over at Danny, silently indicating for him to keep his gun trained on Will as he pulled out his cell phone with one hand while keeping his gun poised with the other. Jack dialed and pressed the phone to his ear, silently studying Will as it rang.

Danny's palms were sweating, unsure and anxious what all this information meant for Martin so he adjusted his grip on the gun handle, his eyes never leaving Will's face.

"Are you happy with your long-distance carrier?" Jack said into his cell phone. Danny watched as Jack's face went stone cold, listening to whatever Draper was saying. Tension rolled off of Jack in thick crushing waves when he looked over at Danny and into his cell phone, gruffly indicated, "You have half an hour." Working his jaw, he held the phone out for Will, saying, "He wants to talk to you."

Eyeing Jack, rightly wary of Jack's irritation, he took the phone and pressed it against his ear, and said, "Yeah? Uh-huh." He paused, listening to whatever he was being told but watching Jack and Danny warily. "Yeah, I got it." He hung up the phone and passed it back to Jack saying, "Draper is on his way."

Jack nodded, pocketing his cell phone and holstering his gun. He looked over at Danny, motioning for him to do the same. Danny hesitated, still not trusting Will, but did as instructed.

Jack narrowed his eyes at Will and ordered, "Start talking."

"Where do you want me to start?" Will asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes flicking over to the open floorboard.

Following his eyes, Jack stepped over to the open hole. Kneeling beside the exposed compartment and pulling out a small manila envelope, Jack said, "How about telling us why you're here?"

"I came looking for evidence," Will replied, his eyes moving between the two of them but landing on the envelope Jack was holding.

Jack shared a skeptical look with Danny and held up the envelope. "How did you know this would be here?"

"I didn't. Draper called and said he needed me to come toss Martin's apartment again," Will explained, reaching up and dropping back the hoody. Instead of revealing his dark black hair, it was now bleached a ghastly shade of blonde that made Danny think of aging Texan former beauty queens trying to cling to their youth. "He said he thinks they must have missed something when they were here before, asking me to look for possible secret hiding spots under the floor, behind walls, anything. He sounded desperate for me to find something."

"And you happen to get lucky on the first place you look?" Danny asked in disbelief.

Will shrugged. "Draper hinted on where to look."

If Jack were a cat this is where his hackles would rise up. He stepped up to Will and gave him a long hard questioning stare. "Is Martin working with you?"

Will shrugged again. "I don't know."

"How the hell could you not know?" Danny asked, aggravated by Will, by the situation, by everything.

"Draper is so fixated on catching Risto he's keeping his cards close," Will replied. "I don't even know who is on his team. He recruited me from Los Angeles because he wanted someone completely unconnected with the New York bureau."

"Why send you?" Jack asked, folding his arms. "If your cover was blown why send you to the apartment of the agent he suspects of exposing you."

Will reached up and ran a hand through his short hair, spiking it up. "He told me there was some fuck up today and he didn't know who he could trust on his own team." Shrugging again, he added, "So he sent me out. I guess he was desperate."

Danny shook his head and sarcastically commented, "Because you're the only one he can trust, right?"

Will shot him an annoyed look and snapped back, "Because I'm one of the only people willing to do anything to take Risto down."

"Why's that?" Jack queried, intrigued.

With a fiercely determined expression on his face, Will replied, "I've been undercover for almost two years and I don't want to see it go down the drain because some asshole agent is trying to turn a profit."

"So you think Martin is still involved?" Jack followed up.

"Yeah, maybe," Will replied with a nod and gesturing to the envelope. "Why else would he hide that?"

Danny scoffed, resenting that all the accusations were still aimed at Martin. Rubbing his hand on his jaw, he looked over at Jack in time to see him unfasten the clasp on the envelope.

Jack shook the envelope and a small memory card for a camera fell out. Holding it up, Jack asked Danny, "Where's Martin's camera?"

"Nightstand," Danny replied, walking over and opening the drawer to find it empty. Slamming it shut, he announced, "It's gone. Draper must have taken it back to the office."

"We'll look at it later." Jack put the memory card back in the envelope, pocketing it. Giving Will a long evaluating appraisal, Jack worked his tongue into his cheek and asked, "If you were undercover what happened to make you fake your own disappearance?"

With his legs spread, Will leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his hands hanging loosely. "I spent the first year just trying to get in Risto and Ivo's good graces. It wasn't easy, they're really guarded and don't take kindly to newcomers. I managed to get in with Dian and Sanya through the bar." He sighed, wearily as if this was a confession, a burden he was happy to release. "Dian was Risto's muscle so I managed to get invited along on a few errands, nothing too big, just a few shake downs." He swallowed and sat up. "That's when I noticed that Dian was skimming off the top."

Seeming to relax, Jack leaned back, resting his hip on Martin's dresser. "Why?"

"He had a lot of gambling debt," Will replied, fishing through his pockets and pulling out a pack of gum, holding it out in a silent offering to Jack who simply shook his head. "He needed cash and needed it right away."

He held it out for Danny, who held up his hand, declining. "Is that why Risto had him killed?"

Will shook his head and pulled out a stick of gum, pocketing the pack. "I mentioned Dian's situation to Draper," he unwrapped the gum, "and we managed to get him to turn state's evidence." He tossed it into this mouth and chewed.

Danny, remaining firmly planted where he stood, asked, "How'd you talk him into going against Risto?"

"One day Sanya noticed that some money was missing from the bar," he replied between chews. He craned his head so he could look over to where Danny stood. "Dian panicked so I told him I'd make sure she wouldn't find out it was him. Sure enough, Sanya suspected it was me."

"That's when she stabbed you," Danny guessed.

"Yeah," he held up his hand, an inch long scar running over the top and a matching one on his palm when he flipped it over. "When Dian took me to the hospital, Draper managed to get him alone in the waiting room. They didn't want to blow my cover in case Dian refused so while I was being stitched up, Draper convinced Dian how close he came to being the one stabbed. That eventually they would find out the truth and kill him. It took some persuading, but eventually he agreed."

"Once you offered him witness protection, of course," Jack commented, his tone laced with sarcasm. "Give him a new life someplace far away where he wouldn't owe anyone any money."

"That was the general idea," Will replied, his jaw working as he popped his gum.

Jack nodded knowingly. "What happened?"

He shrugged. "Dian just up and disappeared. At least until you found him a few days ago."

Glancing over at Jack, checking to see if he was buying Will's story, Danny asked, "So you think that someone tipped Risto off about what Dian was doing?"

Will nodded. "We just couldn't figure out who the mole was." He cleared his throat and continued, "After Dian disappeared, Risto started turning to me more. As terrible as it sounds, Dian going missing helped get me in with the organization. I got more jobs to do and eventually Risto used me all the time. That is until a few weeks ago."

Danny shifted, standing straight up, his legs slightly spread and his arms crossed. "What happened?"

Still chewing and popping, Will replied, "Risto mentioned that there was a big deal coming up and made sure I was going to be available at a moment's notice."

"A deal for what exactly?"

"Risto dabbles in minor mafia stuff, kickbacks, stolen electronics, and stuff like that. But his main area of expertise is arms and drugs. He said that the upcoming deal was for one of the largest in history." Will cleared his throat, gaining more confidence in what he was sharing. "I gave Draper a heads up, time and place, thinking that this was it. The bust we needed to end this." A dark cloud crossed his face. "But a week before it was supposed to go down, Risto and Ivo go quiet. Suddenly no more talk about the buy, nothing. I knew better than to ask, not wanting to draw attention to myself when suddenly Risto and Ivo start asking me questions. Suddenly, they are very interested in my background, where I'm from, if I still have family there, if I'm dating anyone…"

Danny saw a glimpse of fear in Will's eyes. "He was suspicious of you."

"Someone tipped him off again," Jack commented; his jaw tight and voice low and gravelly.

"Yeah," Will agreed with a slight nod. "He either knew I was undercover or he suspected me of feeding the FBI intel. Either way, I had to get out."

Danny stepped around the bed and asked, "How did you just disappear without him looking for you?"

"I pretended to get into a big fight with Sanya in front of the bar," Will replied, his eyes following Danny's form as he moved closer to where Jack was standing. "When I went missing right afterwards, she was able to take credit. It gave her more respect from Risto and the others as well as helped her move further up the chain of command.

"Why would Sanya help you by saying that she is the reason you disappeared?" Danny asked, coming to stand next to Jack. "Wouldn't she want to make sure you were really out of the way?"

"Because her name isn't really Sanya," Draper announced. Danny pivoted around to see Draper entering the bedroom, his face hard and even. He glanced at Will, giving him a small nod that everything was alright before looking directly at Danny and Jack and finishing, "Her name is Claire, Special Agent Claire Roberts."


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**XoXoXoXoX**

The weight of Draper's revelation hung heavy in the apartment as Danny watched Jack sit down on the leather chair in Martin's living room opposite of Draper and Will who sat on the ends of the sofa. Will was still chewing his gum, reminding Danny of a cow nibbling hay.

Danny considered sitting down in the other chair but he was too amped up to sit still so he stood off against the far wall, arms crossed and anxiously waited to hear what other bombshells Draper was going to drop.

Jack's jaw was clenched tight and his nostrils flared as he took a few deep breaths before saying, "I guess now we know why you always made us cut Sanya loose." He gave Draper a long hard stare. "Did Martin know? Was he working for you, too?"

Danny shifted his gaze to Draper, wanting to know as well. Martin's role in all of this was dependent on how Draper answered this question.

Draper swallowed and with his eyes steady on Jack's he replied, "Yes."

A rush of emotion filled Danny, relieved that Martin is a good guy in all of this but also a wave of anger in that Draper had allowed them to believe that Martin was a traitor.

"I want to know everything," Jack quietly demanded through gritted teeth, clearly sharing Danny's anger. His tone was hard; leaving no doubt that he would accept nothing but the truth. "Everything."

Draper worked his jaw. Leaning forward, he quickly glanced over at Danny before focusing his attention on Jack. "We have been investigating Risto's arm dealing for almost five years. We know he has been integral in selling arms to extremist groups here in the states, groups like religious zealots or terrorist cells. But we had very limited success. As Will told you, Risto doesn't include people easily. He keeps his unit tight and we couldn't penetrate it." He swallowed and continued, "That is, until we learned that Risto was shopping for a bride. He was using a marriage broker who specialized in bringing in brides from all over Eastern Europe. So, we got to the marriage broker and arranged for Risto to view a limited selection of hand picked brides. Then we rounded up every willing female agent we could find who could possibly do the job and put them on the list."

"How did Claire get on that list?" Danny asked, his mind spinning to try and match the Sanya he knew with the undercover special agent that Martin had the most intimate connection with.

"She was selected for her language skills and law enforcement background," Draper replied, shifting on the sofa to look directly at Danny. "She is fluent in seven languages, Croatian being one that she excels at." He moved one of the pillows on the sofa to the side so he could sit back. "It was because of her language background that she had been assigned to various assignments such as an inter-agency liaison, FBI, Homeland Security, and even some overseas work for the CIA. Working undercover wasn't new to her."

"Oh she's good," Jack commented, almost sounding bitter. He leaned back, mimicking Draper's posture and rested both his elbows on the arms of his chair. "From her immigration video, with the fake scars and sob story all the way to how she handles herself in an interrogation. She deserves an Oscar."

"Those scars aren't fake," Draper replied, a pained look crossing his face. "She had been injured while doing some work in Iraq." He shared a sad, almost haunted look with Will before shaking it off and tilting his head to the side as he continued, "However, it only served to make her story that much easier to 'sell' to Risto. He genuinely believes she is who she claims to be."

"Why her?" Danny asked, stepping closer, his interest piqued. "She seems so damaged – I mean, her undercover identity seems to have such a tragic story. Why the hell would Risto be attracted to that?"

"It took us some time to figure out, too," Draper replied, crossing his legs and looking over at Danny. "We knew that when we presented the list of brides, we couldn't afford to miss the opportunity so we gave him a wide selection to choose from: different styles, different hair color, and different backstories; plain women, trashy women, comely women. We listed some of the women from good, honest hard-working backgrounds to those with violent histories. Out of the seventeen women he was presented with, the only one he was interested in was Claire, who as Sanya had the most tragic story of them all."

"So why her?" Jack asked, eyebrow cocked.

Taking a break from his chewing, Will smiled and replied, "Risto is gay."

"What?"

"You heard me," Will replied, the slightest smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

Shooting Will a warning look, Draper cleared his throat and said, "When Claire arrived at Risto's she learned that he was very respectful of her, never once making any advances towards her. She couldn't figure it out, but she was relieved all the same. But one night, she heard some noises coming from Risto's office and found Risto in a compromising position with his business partner, Ivo Komsic."

Danny felt the wind kicked out of him at this bit of news. Finding his voice, he quipped, "There's a visual image I didn't need."

Will chuckled, nodding his head in agreement as he popped his gum.

Not as amused, Draper said, "Afterwards, Risto took Claire aside and explained that she had two options. She could risk some serious repercussions if she told anyone about what she saw or she could live comfortably, without any worries about him making sexual advances, if she agreed to act as his fiancée and wife."

"He needed a beard," Jack guessed. Danny shot him a questioning look and he explained, "Risto is an arm's dealer. You can't be a gay man when dealing with extremist groups, particularly religious zealots."

"Exactly," Draper agreed. "He thought she was so damaged that she would be relieved to have a husband who would leave her alone."

"She doesn't dress like she wants to be left alone," Danny commented, remembering again Sanya's low-cut dresses and heavily made-up appearance.

"That was another part of their agreement," Draper explained. "He knew that the hard core religious groups wouldn't want any dealings with a wife and other groups would most likely give him more respect if he could show off that he had managed to snag a sexy wife."

"So she has been able to give you information about Risto?" Jack asked.

"Not at first," Draper replied, shaking his head. "He wasn't keeping her in the loop on his deals. She was in charge of managing the bar, that's it."

Jack leaned forward and steadied his eyes on Draper. "Did you find out why he would leave his fiancée out?"

"Did you tell you're wife everything?" Will retorted and when he opened his mouth, Danny could see the gum bouncing around his mouth.

A quick smile crossed Jack's lips before he asked, "So what changed?"

"Martin," Draper replied, an almost proud expression crossing his face. "Martin helped change everything."

"Just when did Martin get involved in all of this?" Jack asked, his demeanor darkening. Danny could tell that Jack was angry that he was left out of all of this.

"It began during your investigation into the disappearance of Dian Grebo," Draper explained, not sounding apologetic. "Up until that point, Claire and Will were trying everything they could to get in Risto's good graces; try and gain his confidence. When Martin walked into the bar that day, he had no idea Claire would be there but it turned out to be a very fortunate turn of events."

Danny thought back to that day and the look on Martin's face at meeting Sanya. Suddenly, it all clicked. "He knew her, he recognized her."

Draper nodded. "They worked a case together back in Seattle." His eyes flicked over to a framed photograph on the desk of Martin and some friends rock-climbing. "The last time Martin had talked to Claire she was working with JTTF out of Washington." He returned his focus to Jack and said, "When you guys got back from Dobre Scre, he stopped by to talk to Jenkins. He made casual inquiries about our caseload to try and get the 411."

"He didn't mention that he recognized Sanya?" Jack asked, eyeing Draper. "To you or Jenkins?"

"No," Draper replied, shaking his head.

Wanting to make sure he didn't miss a word, Danny moved to the free chair and sat down. "How'd he get involved?"

"Apparently they shared an inside joke, something about grey geese or martini's," Draper replied, looking unsure. "Martin was unclear on how they did it but it was a clue for them to meet up at Jamaica Bay."

Danny turned to face Jack. "That explains their rendezvous' there"

"How did you find out their meeting spot?" Draper asked, looking surprised.

"We tracked Martin's Jeep to that location," Jack replied, glancing quickly at Danny who knew that look. It was a silent request that he not share any more information than Jack was willing to share. "We found out he was meeting a woman there."

Draper gave them a curious look before nodding slowly and saying, "She told him about our suspicions about a mole in the bureau, how we tried to recruit Dian and that he went missing shortly afterwards. They talked and decided that maybe if she could pretend to seduce an FBI agent into giving her information that maybe it would earn her some points with Risto. One mole is a coup but two would be hard to pass up." He met Jack's eyes and finished, "So Martin called up his dad to see if he could arrange a meet with me off the books to discuss."

"I was starting to wonder why Victor wasn't inserting himself into the investigation. I thought it was definitely unusual for him to be so hands-off where Martin is concerned," Jack commented, perturbed. "Should've guessed that he was running the show from behind the curtain."

Danny smiled. "Victor Fitzgerald as the great and powerful Oz."

The men all chuckled humorlessly.

"All kidding aside, Victor was key," Draper replied, getting back to the topic at hand. He sighed heavily and said, "It's one thing to get an FBI agent under your thumb, but the son of the Deputy Director would get them unprecedented access to information. We arranged it so it looked like he was getting information about the transport of arms by having access to Victor's computer and password. We had him giving just enough information that kept Risto two steps ahead of the plans I gave my team. I thought if we could show that Martin was a reliable source, we might make the mole desperate to try and prove his value to Risto. Maybe make a mistake and expose himself."

"And was it working?" Jack asked.

Draper licked his lips and carefully replied, "Like I told Martin, it takes time…"

**XoXoX**

_Summer had officially transitioned to Fall. The hot, humid nights in New York City had given way to cool, crisp evenings, which meant that late night pedestrian traffic had slowed down considerably in Central Park. Draper lingered in the darkened shadows of some nearby trees, his eyes trained on a lone jogger headed in his direction. The runner's cadence was quick and steady, his footfall in perfect rhythm with the movement of his arms. He spotted Draper and slowed his pace, moving off the running path and coming to a stop in front of him. _

"_Hey," Martin greeted him as he approached, not sounding as winded as Draper expected considering the man had been running. Martin glanced around the dark and desolate area. "Meeting in this part of the park makes me wish I had thought to run with my sidearm." _

"_Anyone gives you any trouble, just run faster," Draper quipped. _

_Martin laughed softly and joined him in the shadows. "What do you have for me?"_

"_I want you to tell Claire that Victor just signed off on increasing our funding to incorporate a wire-tap division to monitor all of Risto's calls," Draper said, handing a USB stick to Martin. "Here's some fake intel so she has something to officially give him." As Martin pocketed the memory stick, he asked, "How's Claire holding up?" _

"_As well as can be expected," Martin replied, frowning. "She's anxious for this investigation to be closed." He crossed his arms and met Draper's eyes. "You have any idea when that will be?"_

_Draper shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." _

_Martin sighed, frustrated and asked, "And you don't have any guesses on the identity of the mole yet?"_

_Draper shook his head. "I told you, this was going to take time," he replied, questioning Martin's resolve. "Look, if you have any doubts that you can pull this off you need to tell me now."_

"_No, it's not that," Martin replied, shaking his head before shifting his gaze and staring off at a lamppost in the distance. He sighed and looked back at Draper, saying, "I just want to get Risto before too much more time passes." _

"_Hey, you're telling me?" Draper replied, chuckling sarcastically. "I've been chasing this guy for close to five years. You just got started, why are you so gung-ho already?" _

_Martin stared back at Draper for a beat, a sad expression on his face before quietly replying, "I just want to help end this so we can all go back to living our own lives so we can stop pretending to be something we're not." _

"_Settle down, you're not even as deep as Will and Claire," Draper replied, reaching over and slugging Martin jovially on the shoulder. "What? Is Malone getting suspicious?" _

_Martin shook his head, looking guilty but confident. "No, no one seems to be on to me." _

"_Then just follow the plan and it will be over soon enough, alright?" _

"_Yeah, sure," Martin replied, nodding his head. He gave Draper a look like he wanted to say something but thought better of it so he offered a small farewell wave, turned and started back to the trail. Over his shoulder, he said, "See you next week." _

_Draper watched him disappear around the bend before moving out from the shadows and walking off in the opposite direction. _

**XoXoX**

Danny sat in his chair, trying to absorb all the intricate details that had to have gone into the planning, while Jack went very quiet. He looked over to see Jack staring darkly at Draper, almost stewing.

Jack nodded slowly and evenly asked, "Why didn't you or Martin come to me about this?"

"I meant what I said, I didn't know who I could trust," Draper replied.

Narrowing his eyes at Draper, Jack said, "You should have least told me, I am Martin's SAC. He is a member of my team…"

Holding up a placating hand, Draper interrupted, "Look, Martin wanted to tell you, he did, but I decided that if we really wanted to flush out the real mole in the bureau we needed to keep as few in the loop as possible."

Jack stared back at Draper, darkly, and took a deep breath. Danny could tell that Jack wasn't happy with that answer but willing to let it go. When he exhaled he said, "One thing I don't understand…."

Despite himself, Danny scoffed, "Just one thing?"

Shooting Danny a warning look, Jack asked Draper, "Why cast suspicion on Martin?"

Perking up again, Will replied, "I told you, there's a big deal coming up." He reached over and tore off a piece of the magazine laying on Martin's coffee table. "When I had to jump ship, we knew that Risto was starting to get paranoid." He spit his gum out into the piece of paper and folded it up. "We thought if we could cast Martin in a negative light, the one guy Risto was trusting with intel, Risto would panic. He would worry that Martin would flip on him in order to save his own ass so he would go to whoever the mole is for help."

"And?" Jack pressed.

Draper worked his jaw. "And Risto has gone quiet again. If he did make contact with the mole, he was very successful at keeping it quiet," he answered in a defeated tone.

"So where is Martin now?" Jack asked.

Danny saw Draper share a nervous look with Will. A uneasy feeling swelled in his gut so he asked, "What's that look for? Where's Martin?"

Draper coughed, clearing his throat as he met Danny's eyes. "We were in constant contact with Martin and tracking him using the GPS on his cell…" he trailed off, rubbing his hand over his mouth, looking nervous about what he was going to say next.

"Where is he?" Jack asked again, more demanding.

Draper locked eyes with Jack and carefully replied, "Like I said, we were tracking him," he paused, pursed his lips and quickly finished, "but a few days ago we lost contact with him."

Jack's face contorted in anger. "What do you mean lost contact?"

Licking his lips, Draper quietly breathed, "It means we don't know where he is."

**XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXoX  
A/N: Big thank you to Anmodo for her hard beta work. If you are enjoying this fic, it's in great thanks to her.**


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

**XoXoXoXoX**

It was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

Danny stared at Draper as something inside of him snapped. Echoing Draper's words, Danny asked, "You don't know where he is?" He moved towards Draper, reaching him in three strides and darkly asked, "Are you telling us you lost him? How do you lose someone whose been working for you this entire time?"

Unflinching, Draper kept his gaze cool and steady on Danny's as he replied, "Look, I'm as troubled as you are but losing our heads isn't the way to go here."

"Troubled?" Danny repeated, towering over where Draper sat. Out of the corner of his eye he spied Will glancing nervously between the two men, looking unsure if he needed to intervene or just stay the hell out of it. Thankfully, Will knew enough to just shut up and sit quietly. Smiling a sarcastic grin, Danny laughed bitterly. He looked over at Jack and casually gestured to Draper. "He thinks I'm 'troubled' by the fact that he _lost _Martin. Troubled." His expression faded to darkness and anger as he turned to face Draper again. "I'm not troubled, I'm fucking pissed off."

Draper narrowed his eyes at Danny and frowned. "Malone, you better tell your man to back off."

"He's actually a lot more polite than I'm feeling right now," Jack replied through clenched teeth. With controlled anger, Jack demanded, "When was the last time you talked to Martin?"

Eyeing Danny warily, looking almost scared that if he answered incorrectly Danny might hit him.

Danny had to admit, he was right in worrying.

Licking his lips, Draper replied, "He met with Claire the night before last. Afterwards he called in and was supposed to check back in with me this morning but never did."

"And you didn't have him wired?" Jack asked; his tone tight and biting. "Maybe a tap on his phone line or GPS on the car he was driving?"

Draper shook his head. "He was in too deep. We couldn't risk marking him so we just had the same stuff any agent would have. Like I said, only a select few knew about his undercover work. I couldn't take any chances of anyone finding out."

"And look at how it turned out!" Jack angrily responded. "If you had included me maybe Martin wouldn't be missing right now."

"What makes you think it would have gone any differently, Jack?" Draper asked, fixing his eyes on Jack. "You don't seem to do any better controlling it when you go it alone."

Reflexively, Danny turned to look at Jack, knowing that a raw nerve surely must have been pinched. Jack narrowed his eyes at Draper but remained silent; working his jaw so hard Danny worried that Jack would grind his teeth down to the gums.

With his nostrils flaring, Jack evenly replied, "At least my team knows when someone is lost and they wouldn't let so much time pass trying to track them down."

Despite the tension of the conversation, Danny felt a feeling of pride rush through him. He looked back over between Draper and Will and asked, "So what are you doing to try and find him?"

Taking a frustrated breath, Draper replied, "While I'm still not totally convinced Martin's in any real danger, I had Will searching any possible locations where he may have gone as well as put a contact out to Claire." He shifted in his seat, adjusted his jacket and re-crossed his legs. Realizing how close he was standing, Danny took a step back. "But after what we found at the warehouse, I sent Will here to look for any clues that only he might recognize from the bar or Risto's home."

"Do you think Risto or Ivo are on to him and maybe," Jack paused, rubbing his hand over his mouth as if not wanting to say what he needed to say. "Maybe Risto dealt with Martin in his own way."

"No," Draper replied, shaking his head. "While we may not know where Martin is yet, when I talked to Claire she told me that Risto and Ivo have been with her at the house all yesterday and today. We cannot connect him to Michelle's body or Martin."

Jack stood up. "Bring them in for a conversation and I'll get the truth."

"On what grounds?" Draper asked. "If Risto doesn't know about Martin's true role in all of this, we risk exposing him and Claire. I cannot take that chance."

"Then arrange it so I can talk to Claire myself," Jack replied, moving to the door.

Draper shot up and looked over at Jack. "No, I will not compromise my investigation by…"

Cutting him off, Jack responded, "It's already compromised if you don't know where Martin is."

Draper lowered his head, knowing that Jack was speaking the truth. After a beat, he looked up, resigned. "Give me a few hours. I need time to talk with Van Doren and Victor."

Jack held his gaze steady on Draper. "You have two hours. After that, my team and I are going to find Martin on our own." He jerked his chin for Danny to follow him as he turned and exited out the front door.

Danny gave Will and Drape one final look of disgust before he walked out after Jack.

Jack was halfway down the hallway so Danny jogged lightly to catch up. When he did, he said, "This is fucked up, Jack. We should just go to Risto's right now."

Shaking his head, Jack replied, "And what? Expose Claire and Martin as working undercover?" He pressed the call button for the elevator and looked over his shoulder, making sure that Draper and Will were still inside Martin's apartment. Certain they were speaking in private, he leaned in and softly replied, "Draper's right, we need to be cautious. If Martin is in deeper, we can't risk revealing him."

"Or he could be in serious trouble if they find out he's actually one of the good guys."

Jack gave him a knowing look as he quietly replied, "Yeah, well, good guys sometimes find themselves in bad situations."

Danny closed his eyes and shook his head, hating that Martin might be in danger but he couldn't do a damn thing about it. He heard the elevator ding and when he opened his eyes he saw the doors slide open.

Jack walked in ahead of him and pressed the button for the lobby. As the doors shut, Jack cleared his throat and said, "Listen, there's one more thing." Danny gave him a questioning look. "We need to keep this between us. You can't tell Elena… or Sam or Viv for that matter. No one."

Danny's stomach twisted tight. "Jack, they need to know. We can't keep them out of something like this."

"We have to," Jack insisted. "If there is a mole in the bureau, they are going to notice if the team starts acting differently or shifts the focus of their investigation. We need to keep looking for Martin just like we have. If whoever the mole is notices any changes in our demeanor, we risk blowing JTTF's investigation and possibly putting Martin and Claire in further danger. No, we need them to keep behaving like they have."

"I don't like lying to any of them, but especially not Elena," Danny replied, rubbing his tired eyes, already cringing at having to keep something so important from her.

Jack nodded. "Believe me, I know women. When this is over, she will understand."

Danny dropped his hand and shot Jack a look. "No offense, but I'm not sure a divorced man can claim to know what women will and will not understand."

Jack gave a small smile knowing Danny was speaking the truth. "Fair enough." He shifted his gaze to the dial on top of the elevator indicating what floor they were passing and added, "Tell you what, you can blame me. Women love to blame me and that is something I know for sure."

**XoXoXoX**

"And nothing was missing?" Viv asked for the second time.

"No," Danny lied, trying his best to appear sincere and relaxed as he looked at her from across the conference table.

When they returned, Viv, Samantha and Elena were all gathered around the conference table sifting through more evidence. They were hoping Jack and Danny would come back with positive news but following Jack's orders to keep what they found out to themselves, Danny made up some lame excuse about a false alarm. He told them that maybe the neighbor just thought she heard someone. It was really hard to lie to them, knowing they were as worried about Martin as he was but he had to trust Jack's instincts on this one. He also was trying his best to not meet Elena's eyes, certain that she could see right through his lies.

"Maybe it was Martin?" Sam speculated, looking pensive.

"Martin?" Jack asked, looking genuinely puzzled. Danny found himself slightly disconcerted to see how easily keeping secrets came to Jack.

"Yeah, maybe he needed a change of clothes or something."

"Makes sense," Jack commented.

Danny noticed Elena and Viv sit up straight, both of their gazes focused on something behind him. He turned in his chair to see Sherman walking towards them. He was carrying a file folder and a plastic evidence bag.

"If you request a piece of evidence, Taylor, I suggest that you come get it," Sherman growled at Danny in his patented curmudgeonly fashion. "It's not polite to request evidence and then leave it sitting on my desk waiting to be picked up."

Standing up quickly, Danny smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I've been out in the field."

"Then you should have sent someone else to pick it up," Sherman curtly replied, shoving the items towards Danny. "Now, you best get those back to me by tomorrow evening."

"I requested that they be checked out to me for 72 hours," Danny replied, lifting up the bag to see the gold dice keychain in the baggy.

"And if you had picked them up on time, two days ago, you would have had your 72 hours. But instead they spent the last 48 hours sitting on my desk," Sherman replied with a visible scowl. "You're just lucky I was feeling nice today and brought it to you directly." With that, he started to turn around and added, "You're welcome by the way."

"Thank you," Danny replied to Sherman's retreating back. Smiling, he turned and dropped the bag and file folder on the desk. He had completely forgotten that he had requested the evidence.

Sam picked up the plastic bag and asked, "What's this?"

"Dian's keychain for his car keys," Danny replied as Vivian picked up the file folder and began flipping through the pages.

Her eyes were scanning the pages when she saw something that made her breath hitch. Looking up at Danny and Jack, she said, "I thought you said you guys saw visible fingerprints on the keychain?"

"We did," Danny replied as Sam lifted up the bag to study the keychain closer.

Lowering the bag, Sam asked, "Are you sure?"

"Why?" Jack asked with worried eyes.

Vivian shared a look with Sam who nodded. Licking her lips, Viv said, "Because according to Latent Prints, there were no prints."

"Yeah, Martin said there were no usable prints," Danny replied.

"No useable prints? There were no prints at all," she replied, setting the open file down on the table and carefully slid it over so Jack and Danny could read it. "According to the report, they were wiped clean."

Danny shared a look with Jack before leaning in and studying the report. There on line four was typed out: NO FINGERPRINTS ON GOLD DICE KEYCHAIN. He swallowed, knowing that this did not look good for Martin but in no position to defend it either. He looked over at Jack for some guidance, but Jack just stared quietly at the evidence folder, shut it and gave it back to Viv.

Standing up, he said to Danny, "Write up a report explaining that before you gave the evidence bag to Martin, we both saw visible prints."

"That's it?" Viv asked, obviously surprised by Jack's matter-of-fact tone.

"This is bad, Jack," Sam argued. "Martin tampered with evidence. This is more proof that Martin is guilty."

Jack paused, looked over at her and solemnly said, "I know but right now we need to concentrate on finding out where he is running to."

"But…" Sam began again when Jack held up his hand to stop her.

"We will worry about one thing at a time." He looked around at all of them and said, "When we find him, we can ask him what is going on." Not leaving it open to discussion, Jack turned and walked back to his office.

Danny lowered his head, grabbed the file and started to his desk. He could feel three sets of eyes burning into him but he refused to look over, afraid they would see right through his deception. He heard high heels clacking on the floor and knew that Elena was headed in his direction so he turned abruptly, escaping to the break room.

But as quickly as he moved down the hall, he could still hear Elena's heels following him.

"Danny, wait up," Elena ordered.

He forced himself to stand still but keeping his gaze set straight ahead, he bit his lower lip and mentally reminded himself to keep his cool and most of all, follow Jack's orders to keep the truth about what Martin was really doing to himself. He lowered his head, took a breath and spun around to face Elena.

"Yeah?" he asked, his body already twitching, physically protesting having to lie to the woman he loved.

"Yeah?" she repeated, looking annoyed. "We just found out that Martin tampered with evidence – your evidence – and all you can say is 'yeah'? I want to know why you are," she paused, running her gaze over his face, "behaving so calmly."

Shrugging, Danny replied, "I don't know if calm is the right word for how I'm feeling. I just think Jack's right and we need to concentrate on finding Martin."

She eyed him, skeptical. "What's going on, Danny? This isn't like you."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Danny Taylor I know would be furious right now to know just how deep Martin betrayed all of us," she replied, studying him carefully. "I want to know why you aren't pissed off right now."

He stared back at her, wanting to tell her everything Draper had told them. But trusting Jack's instincts, Danny coolly replied, "I am pissed off. I want to know what in the hell he was thinking, why in the hell he was doing whatever he was doing. But right now, there is so much fucked up stuff going on that I need to focus on just finding out where Martin is so I can ask him myself."

She kept her gaze fixed on his, carefully considering his words. He looked back at her, silently pleading for her to just let this matter go. He could see her warring on whether or not to continue, but seconds later she sighed heavily, her posture softening and he knew that she was going to go along with him – for now.

"Gracias," he murmured, reaching out to gently touch her hand. Her hand was limp in his as she shook her head, letting him know that while she agreed she still wasn't very happy about it. He smiled softly and said, "Te amo."

She looked up at him. Her big brown eyes filled with concern and affection as she squeezed his hand back and replied, "Te quiero."

They both stood there, a silent moment of understanding passing between them when they heard Sam approaching.

"Hey!" she shouted. They both turned to see her waving them over. "Draper told Jack that the bureau has just issued an arrest warrant for Risto and Sanya. We need to head out to New Jersey right now."

* * *

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the big delay in updating. I seriously hope some of you are still reading. Going to a conference in Chicago and planning a baby shower have taken up a lot of my free time. And yeah, **_**Supernatural**_** is keeping me distracted, too. LOL. Anyway, I am very sorry if any of you were getting antsy to read it. My deepest apologies. That said, I'm hard at work on the rest of the story so there shouldn't be any big lapses in the future. **


	24. Chapter 23

**I****'m sorry for the delay but I had some writer's block and the state of the show is not helping much. If it helps, it's a long update so maybe that will make up for having to wait. Or maybe not for those of you who like to read my fics in small doses. LOL.**

**Normally I post my thanks at the end but I wanted to give a big, HUGE, GIGANTIC shout-out to Anmodo for her help on this chapter. She truly deserves co-author credit here. Not sure she would want to stake any claim to my fic but I'm giving it to her anyway. So if you enjoy this next installment, it is in great thanks to her. Thank you so much, Anmodo!!**

**And thanks to each and every one of you who is reading this fic, reviewing it, and sticking with me despite the lags in updates.**

**XoXoXoXoX**

**Chapter 23**

**XoXoXoXoX**

When you arrest someone powerful it can go one of two ways:

In the first scenario, the suspect can resist arrest, maybe some gunfire will be exchanged, personal property destroyed and the suspect is either brought in wearing handcuffs or a toe tag.

In the second scenario, you knock on their door and they surrender willingly. They either accept that they've been caught or are confident that whatever case you have against them is flimsy and they will be in and out of jail before the ink from their fingerprints is even dry.

Judging from Risto's eerily calm behavior, he fell into the latter category.

Lights flashing but sirens off, the bureau sedans and the NJPD squad cars pulled into Risto's driveway, representing all ranks of law enforcement. Several uniformed officers rushed around the rear with Vivian and Samantha to cover any possible exits while Jack, Draper, Jenkins, Elena and Danny stepped onto the porch to go in through the front door. But before Draper's index finger could ring the doorbell, the front door swung open and Risto appeared holding a martini glass.

"Well, this is a surprise," he commented looking as if it were anything but.

"Risto Mijatovic, we are here to serve a warrant for you arrest as well as a warrant to search the premises."

"Okay, let me just take a final sip and we can get going." He waved for them to follow him inside. Risto looked very relaxed, wearing a tailored Armani suit and holding a martini glass. He polished off his martini in one quick swig and set the empty glass down on the table near the door. "I have a full day tomorrow and I'd like to be home as soon as possible so I can get some rest."

Danny knew that Risto was right to feel so confident, the evidence they had was circumstantial at best. They could link Risto to the victims and the crime scenes but only by association, they had no evidence to incriminate him or even offer up any motivation for ordering Dian and Michelle's murders. They had just enough to buy them some one-on-one time to conduct an interview with Risto, search Risto's home, and most importantly, given Jack and Danny a chance to talk alone with a particular undercover special agent.

The wind effectively out of their sails, Draper frowned and motioned for Jenkins to cuff Risto, saying, "Risto Mijatovic, you have the right to remain silent…"

Risto laughed and simply raised his hands up behind his head when Jenkins spun him around and shoved him up against a wall as he frisked him.

Stepping over the threshold behind Elena, Danny spotted Sanya sitting on a chair in the living room sipping her own martini. She was wearing a blood red halter dress and her hair was pulled up into a French twist, showcasing her large diamond earrings.

Moving further into the foyer, he caught Elena staring at the woman, a look of disgust evident in her eyes. He hated that Elena was still operating under the assumption that Sanya had manipulated Martin's emotions but was also touched to see how protective she was of their friend and teammate.

Taking a breath, Danny met Jack's eyes, who motioned for him to get to work. Nodding, Danny walked up to Sanya as he pulled out his handcuffs. "Ms. Kovac we have a warrant for your arrest as well."

Sanya eyed Danny icily as she continued to demurely sip her martini. After a beat, she placed the glass on the table and stood up. As he cuffed her, Risto said something to her in Croatian and winked at her. She nodded that she understood, watching worriedly as Jenkins escorted Risto to the car outside.

Taking the opportunity, Danny watched Sanya's face for any sign of Special Agent Claire Roberts. However, all he could see was the hard-edged woman he had come to know her as over the last few months. If he didn't know that she was undercover he would never have guessed she was anything but who she claimed to be. Her expression was unreadable as he read her rights and snapped the cuffs tight. When he was done, he started moving her to the door when Vivian and Samantha entered the foyer. He noticed the two women give Sanya a hard look and he knew that they were each hoping she would give up some information that would lead them to Martin. True to her undercover persona, Sanya gave them all a chilly, smug smile as she passed that was rewarded by Sam taking a step forward, looking ready to cause the woman a world of hurt.

"It's not worth it," Vivian said, reaching out to hold Samantha back. "We got her."

Sam resisted but finally took a step back, just staring daggers at Sanya. Danny couldn't help but think how differently Samantha might have reacted if she knew how much Sanya really knew about Martin.

"Put her in my car," Jack told him as they reached the doorway, a look of understanding passing between them. Danny nodded and gently pushed Sanya towards the door, trying to ignore the penetrating gaze of Elena as she clearly tried to decipher the exchange between him and Jack.

As they exited, he overheard Jack and Draper giving the team orders to tear up Risto's home to search for any evidence that would link them to Michelle and Dian's murders as well as any clue as to Martin's whereabouts.

As they walked to the waiting car, Danny wanted to tell Sanya he knew who she really was but resisted, following Draper's directive to not reveal themselves to her until they were on the road. Draper didn't want to risk anyone noticing an exchange between them that was even slightly out of the ordinary when apprehending a suspect.

He reached the car and opened the back door, helping Sanya into the backseat. His eyes kept falling on her, curious as to who this woman was and why Martin would risk so much for her but she kept her gaze cold, staring straight ahead. Once she was inside, he slammed the back door shut and spun around to see Risto staring at her from the backseat of Draper's car.

Danny moved, obstructing Risto's view and gave the man a cocky smile. Risto rewarded him with a dirty look before turning away. Danny wasn't sure why but this little victory did give him a small amount of joy. He heard footsteps headed his way and looked over to the house to see Jack walking towards him.

"Let's go," Jack announced, walking up to the driver's side door and climbing inside.

Danny opened his own door and sat down in the passenger seat as Jack put the key in the ignition and brought the car to life.

As they pulled out of the driveway, he could see Risto watching their car carefully, shooting warning looks towards Sanya. Danny shifted in his seat, stealthily craning his head to look at her in the backseat and watched as she returned comforting glances to Risto and smiled at him reassuringly. When she noticed that they were being observed, she rolled her eyes at Danny and turned her attention outside the window.

Turning back to look out the windshield, he restrained a smile thinking that she definitely did give a masterful performance.

They rode in silence through the quiet neighborhood streets. The only sounds were the soft whirr of the engine and the noise of the tires rolling over pavement. Feeling impatient and on edge, Danny kept glancing at Jack out of the corner of his eye, streaks of light dancing across his face before shrouding it in shadows once again. He searched for any indication of when they could tell Sanya that they knew who she really was but Jack remained stoic, simply steering the car and staring out the windshield. So Danny decided to just follow his lead, and sat back, waiting for his cue.

Turning the car onto the on-ramp to the highway, Jack pulled his cell out of his breast pocket and quietly instructed, "Danny, go ahead and take off her handcuffs."

Taken aback by the break in the quiet, it took Danny a moment to register what Jack had told him, but when he did, Danny nodded and removed his seatbelt.

Beside him Jack dialed and pressed his cell phone to his ear and said, "It's me."

Fishing his keys out of his pocket, Danny heard Sanya speak up from the backseat. "What is going on?" she asked; her thick accent still intact.

Finding the key to his handcuffs, Danny turned around and leaned over the seat, and gently said, "Its okay." He met her eyes and added, "We know."

She narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious, and pulled her still handcuffed hands out of Danny's reach. "You know what?"

"That you're undercover," he replied with a small smile. He held up the key and motioned for her to hold her wrist out so he could unlock them but she remained still.

Her eyes darted between him and the back of Jack's head, as he remained on his cell phone, seemingly oblivious to their exchange. She met Danny's eyes again. "What are you talking about?"

Danny stared back at her, realizing that she had no way to be sure this wasn't a ploy by the mole to make her expose herself. He opened his mouth to reassure her that they were the good guys when Jack tapped him on the shoulder. He looked over in time to see Jack hold out his cell phone for him. "Give her the phone," he ordered.

Taking the cell, he nodded and held it out for her. She grabbed it, pressing it to her ear and in her distinct accent she said, "Hello?"

The transformation was almost instantaneous, like a snake shedding her skin.

One moment the only face and mannerisms he could see were Sanya but as she listened to whoever was on the other end of the line, her face changed, her demeanor eased up, her expression softened and it was here that he saw the woman he could understand Martin falling for. Sanya was gone and in the backseat of the sedan sat Claire Roberts.

"But what about…?" Claire asked, her accent gone and her true soft, lilting voice present. She lowered her head, pensive. "I know but…" Her head flew back up and her face hardened as she snapped into the phone, "You told me that you had taken measures to ensure that wouldn't happen." She paused, listening to whatever the other person was telling her. Her saw her bite her lip so hard he thought it might bleed before she cut off the other person and replied, "Yes, sir." She snapped the phone shut and held it out for Danny, "Thanks."

He took the phone and set it down on the console between his and Jack's seats. Holding up the key again, he asked, "Want me to take those handcuffs off now?"

"No," she softly replied, shaking her head. "Risto will expect to see my wrists to be chaffed from the metal. If they aren't he'll get suspicious." She offered him a sad smile and added, "Thanks though."

Danny nodded, feeling caught off guard at seeing a face he knew to be Sanya but hearing the gentle tone of Claire. He sat back in his seat when Jack clicked on the blinkers and changed lanes to get in line for the next off ramp.

Looking at Claire through the rearview mirror, Jack explained, "We don't have much time. Risto already had lawyers sent to the bureau to meet up with us when we arrive." He noticed the look in Claire's eyes and added, "But I guess you already knew that."

"He's very efficient that way," she quipped, taking a breath and slumping down in her seat. Taking a deep breath, she looked up and said, "Draper told me you had some questions."

Jack nodded as he maneuvered the car onto a side street. "Draper said that Risto and Ivo were with you the last 24 hours which means that we can't directly link either one of them to Martin's disappearance." Danny chanced a look at Claire who simply nodded. "So I need you to think of anything that Risto did out of the ordinary."

Claire shifted in her seat and scooted to the middle and leaned in to she could try and meet both their eyes. "How much did Draper tell you about Risto and Ivo's relationship?"

Smiling, Danny replied, "We know they're fans of _Will and Grace_."

He was rewarded by a genuine smile by Claire. "Martin said you had a joke for every occasion." Danny's eyes met hers, a moment of camaraderie passing between them before she looked to Jack and said, "So if you know he's gay, you know I wasn't exactly with them the entire time. I can't say for sure what they talked about in private."

"So he wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary?"

"No, he was actually shockingly ordinary," she replied, frustrated. "A week ago, Risto was putting a lot of pressure on me to get information from Martin but yesterday he didn't bring him up at all. He practically did everything he could to avoid discussing Martin."

Jack processed information. "What kind of information did he want?"

"He has a big deal coming up and wanted to know if there were any rumblings about it in JTTF." She sat back in her seat and worked her jaw. "After he learned that Martin was under suspicion by the FBI, he went quiet. He wouldn't even talk about anything related to the business in front of me."

"Well, the fact that he did that says a lot," Jack replied, slowing the car down and pulling over.

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding slowly. Her expression tensed up, looking guilty. "I have been looking for any clue that something is different, any sort of hint as to where Martin is but there's been nothing."

As Jack put the car in 'Park,' Danny shifted so he was facing Claire before asking, "Risto was remarkably calm earlier, do you have any idea who tipped him off about the raid?"

"Ivo called him an hour before you guys arrived," she answered, gently wringing her wrists, which were already looking red and raw from the handcuffs.

"So whoever the mole is deals directly with Ivo," he surmised, catching Jack's gaze in the process.

"Yup, which explains why I've never discovered who it was before," Claire replied, shaking her head. She closed her eyes and rubbed the heels of her hand over them. "I can't believe I actually thought this was almost over."

Jack shifted in the driver's seat, looking directly at her. "If you can just give me enough information so that I can get something out of Risto, I know I can help build a strong case to…"

"A strong case?" Claire repeated, cutting Jack off. "That's what Draper told me when he asked me to go under. He said he had a strong case and I'd be in and out before I knew it. I'm sorry, but please excuse me if I doubt that you really are close to finally getting me out because you have _a strong case_."

Danny watched Claire closely, she looked tired and frustrated and fed up. He reached over and tapped her on the shoulder and said, "Look, Martin seemed to think he could end this. I know that's the only reason he would take such a big chance by revealing himself."

Dropping her hands, she opened her eyes and said, "The reason Martin took this chance is because he's a big idiot with a bigger heart…"

XoXoX

_There was a full moon, casting Jamaica Bay in a dark blue light. There was just enough light to see someone close by but still remain in the shadows to anyone at a distance. _

_Claire stared up at Martin as he finished detailing how Draper would expose him as a traitor in order to try and flush out the mole. When he was done, she stood there silently, trying to absorb what he was telling her. _

_After a long beat she took a deep breath and said, "No. It'll never work and it's too dangerous," she insisted, shaking her head and giving him a pointed look. She hoped that her words would sink in and the serious expression on her face would make him realize just how certain she was that this was a very bad idea. "No, you can't do it."_

_Undeterred, Martin looked at her and replied, "I know what I'm doing. I've considered all the angles and this is the only way I could think of forcing Risto's hand."_

"_Think of something else," she argued, shaking her head. "This won't work. Risto is too clever and he would sooner postpone the deal than risk having you roll over on him."_

"_No, this deal is too big and based on everything I've learned, it's happening either January 17__th__ or 18__th__," he replied, stepping closer and invading her personal space. "He won't risk letting it slip through his fingers. If I can distract him with worrying what I might be telling the bureau higher ups to save my ass, then he will have to force his mole to dig for more information, exposing himself in the process."_

"_There are too many variables, Martin," Claire replied, crossing her arms and holding firm in her beliefs. "He could just as easily try and kill you instead. He did it to Dian and I'm sure he won't hesitate just because you're an agent." _

"_He'd want to talk to me first, see what I told the FBI," he replied, squaring his shoulders. "I'll call him up after the fake interrogation with Van Doren and Draper and assure him I'm keeping quiet."_

"_What if he doesn't believe you? He could just torture you for a few hours to get the truth," Claire stated ominously. _

"_I'll be fine. After I leave the bureau, I'll contact Risto and assure him I'm still loyal but I need to skip town for a little while. There are tracking devices in my car and phone so Draper will know where I am at all times and I'll be checking in often," Martin explained. "I'll set up my apartment so if anyone from my team shows up they'll see that I left of my own volition."_

_Claire ran her hands through her straight brown hair. "God, your team is going to freak out."_

"_I can handle them," Martin reassured her. "We need them to think I'm a traitor. If I know them, they're going to run their own investigation and that will only help flush out the mole sooner rather than later."_

"_But in the meantime,__they are going to think you lied to them all this time," she lamented._

"_I know," he replied, his voice tinged with guilt. "But when they figure this out, they'll completely understand my motivation."_

"_You can't do this, Martin," Claire pleaded, hoping she could say something to change his mind. "It's too dangerous. I have a bad feeling in my gut and…" _

_Taking her hands in his, Martin cut her off, "The decision has been made and we've already put the wheels in motion--"_

_This time, she cut him off. "What wheels? What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice bordering on panicked. _

_Martin lowered his head and swallowed tilting his head towards hers. "I, uh, I tampered with some evidence." She kept her eyes trained on his, silently demanding more information. "I wiped the fingerprints off of Dian's keychain before sending it to Latents."_

_She yanked her hands away. Feeling a mixture of disappointment and anger, she walked away and said, "Damn it, Martin. What were you thinking?" _

_Stopping when she reached the water's edge she stared out at the water. The moon reflecting off the lake and the only sounds were the gentle lapping of the water's tide against the water's edge. The setting was perfect for a romantic evening between lovers, but instead they were arguing about Martin putting his reputation and, more importantly, his life on the line. _

_Behind her she heard Martin's footsteps headed her way, his shoes moving over the gravel and coming to a stop. Then he wrapped his arms around her and she leaned back, resting against his chest. As frustrated as she felt, she could never deny him._

_He rested his chin on top of her head and breathed, "We need to do this, Claire. It's the only way to end this and get you out. You can't tell me that you don't want this to be over."_

"_You know I do but not if it means risking your life to do it," she answered desperately. _

_Without missing a beat, Martin replied, "I'm willing to take the risk if it means you can get back to living your own life." _

_Suddenly letting the emotion of the moment get to her, she softly cried, "It's been so long I can't even remember what my own life looks like. If it weren't for you, I'm not sure I'd remember who Claire was before Sanya…" _

_Pulling her closer, he moved his head so his mouth was near her ear. "I'd never forget you. All I'm looking forward to…all I'm working towards is a life where I can be with the woman I love out in the open. No more secrets, no more lying. Just me and you for the whole world to see." _

_She turned to face him, a questioningly look on her face. "Are you trying to butter me up with romantic proclamations so I won't argue anymore?" _

"_Yeah, is it working?" he asked, nuzzling against her as she laughed softly through teary eyes. "Think about it: me and you being able to share a bed, wake up together, and do something ordinary like renting a movie and ordering a pizza." _

"_Can I pick the movie?" she asked, suddenly thankful for the diversion of this playful moment._

"_Sure, sometimes," he smiled against her cheek and murmured, "Afterwards we can go back to bed…" _

"_I'm guessing you foresee a great deal of my future life being spent in your bed?" she asked, clearly agreeable to the idea._

"_I'm hoping," he replied, planting a kiss on the side of her neck. They both went quiet again, just looking out over the water when Martin finally said, "You know I would never do this if I didn't think it would work."_

_She sighed heavily, hating this idea but knowing that it was going to happen regardless. Turning around to face him, she said, "Just please be careful, Martin. I don't want anything to happen to you." She affectionately tugged on the lapels of his jacket. "Because I'm holding you to that dinner and movie." He nodded. "But if it's all the same to you, I'd rather order Thai."_

"_You got it," he replied with a nod. Reaching up with both hands, he cupped her face and said, "I love you, ya know."_

"_Right back at you," she replied as he leaned in to kiss her._

_She wrapped her arms around him, making a silent prayer that it was going to be as easy as he believed. _

XoXoX

"I knew in my gut it was a bad idea but Martin can be so stubborn..." Claire explained. "I thought his plan was working because he came to see me the night he had been put on suspension pending the investigation into his actions. He seemed fine, but the next morning Draper contacted me and said that Martin was missing."

Danny took a breath, clearly trying to absorb all he'd just heard. Finally, he asked, "What did you talk about that night?"

Swallowing, Claire shook her head. "The usual, we talked about Risto's upcoming deal and their phone conversation after he was suspended from the bureau. He said that he was pretty confident that Risto was buying his story that he was skipping town."

"Tell us more about this deal," Jack said.

"Risto arranged the sale of a large shipment of weapons to a guerilla group out of the Sudan. In addition to semi-automatic weapons, machetes, and landmines, he was also selling them a large quantity of C4 and rocket launchers." Claire worked her jaw, looking sickened by the thought of those who would suffer as a result of this deal.

"How much cash are we talking?" Jack asked.

Frowning, she reached up and removed one of her diamond earrings, handing it to Danny. "He was going to be paid in black market diamonds," she explained, motioning to the earring. "That was from the first half of their payment."

Holding up the large sparkling jewel, Danny studied it and asked, "How much are we talking?"

"The street value is estimated to be close to fifty million."

Danny released a small whistle, impressed by the amount. "I can see why Risto would do anything to ensure that nothing gets in the way of his deal."

He handed it back to her and she put it back on her earlobe. "Exactly. That was why it was such a coup that he had two agents in his pockets. He wanted to make sure he had all angles covered and keep two steps ahead of the law." She bit her bottom lip and added, "Which is why I'm worried just how far Risto would go if he thought Martin betrayed him."

Jack nodded solemnly. "That last night you saw Martin, did he give you any idea where he was going after he left you?"

"No, he said he had a hunch about something and he would call me if it panned out," Claire tilted her head and looked out the passenger window, sadness written all over her face. "That was the last time we talked."

"He didn't give you any idea what this hunch was?" Jack asked.

"I tried to ask him but it was already late and Risto was waiting for me. I should've pressed him harder… I knew he was holding something back..." she trailed off, obviously upset for not having done more.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Danny replied softly. "We saw Martin everyday and we had no clue that he was holding something back."

Claire met Danny's eyes, sympathetic to the frustration he was feeling for being left in the dark all this time. "Martin felt terrible about not being able to tell you what he was doing. Please know that. He never meant to—"

"It's all right," Jack interrupted. He worked his tongue into his cheek and added, "I know sometimes a man has his reasons."

"Yeah, it's all right," Danny repeated, actively thinking that it certainly wasn't. "I guess Martin had a good excuse. It sounds like he was willing to do just about anything to get you out of your situation."

Claire nodded. "I was beginning to doubt I'd ever get out or get to be me again, and then you guys walked into the bar that day. Just seeing him, I had hope…"

Hearing her words, Danny's frown that he'd had on his face while she'd been explaining how Martin had gotten into this mess disappeared. "So how long exactly? How long have you been under?"

With an achingly soft voice, Claire replied, "Three years, four months, two weeks and six days."

Jack lowered his head, shaking it slowly. "That's…I can't imagine," he replied as Danny let out a small sigh. "For what it's worth, you're doing one hell of a job."

Danny smirked, remembering the rounds he'd gone with "Sanya" over the last several months.

Claire's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry about the way I treated you guys, the stuff I said. I hated having to talk to you like that, especially knowing how worried you were but Martin said it was necessary if you were to interview me. I had to 'sell' it…that I didn't really care about him. That I was using him to just get information. I hope you understand—"

"Of course, we understand. I'm just saying that you were very…believable," Jack said.

Claire smiled. "That was Martin's idea. He said the best way to get you guys to dig deeper was to piss you off."

"He would know," Jack replied with a smirk as he shifted back around in his seat and turned the car back on. "We should head back before we arouse Risto's suspicion."

Jack pulled the car back onto the street and headed to the on-ramp to head back to the city.

Remembering something at the house from earlier, Danny asked, "What did Risto tell you earlier?" She looked at him questioningly and he explained, "He said something to you when we placed you under arrest."

Licking her lips, Claire nodded and softly replied, "He gave me a warning. He said, 'Do not forget who I am because I will never forget who you are.'"


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**XoXoXoXoX**

As the elevator slowed to a stop, Jack looked over at Danny and Claire and directed, "Follow me."

The doors slid open and he stepped out, making a straight beeline to a nearby conference room with Danny and a handcuffed Claire trailing behind him.

As they walked, Danny felt dozens of pairs of eyes on Claire. While he knew that she was working undercover, to every other agent in the office, she was Sanya Kovac: an ice queen who lured Martin into committing acts of treason. As they neared the conference room, he spotted Samantha, Elena and Vivian watching them studiously from behind the windowpanes separating the hall from the bullpen. He knew each of these women well enough to see that the wheels of their minds were spinning, calculating how Sanya figured into all that they knew to be true about Martin. He hated that he couldn't tell them the truth, that they were continuing to operate under the assumption that Martin had betrayed them all because Sanya had used him.

Doing his best to avert their penetrating gazes, he picked up his pace and escorted Claire into the room, shutting the door behind him.

Inside, Jack was actively working to shut all the blinds, preventing the prying eyes of other agents from watching them. Danny motioned for Claire to sit down on one of the chairs but her eyes were focused on Jack's handy work.

"Why did you bring me in here instead of an interrogation room?" she asked as Jack secured the final blind. "This isn't protocol."

With his back to them as he ran his hand over the blinds, making certain each flap was flat making it impossible for anyone to peer inside, he replied, "Working a hunch."

Waiting until Jack turned around to face them, Claire narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Care to enlighten me?"

Danny shifted his attention to Jack, equally curious.

Jack shoved his hands into his pockets and explained himself. "Honest agents will trust my judgment in bringing you here, hoping that I'm trying to lure you into a false sense of comfort in order to get a confession. But dishonest ones will try and find out why I brought you in here so they can report back."

At first, Claire gave a quick glance in Danny's direction as if to see if he thought Jack was for real. Danny nodded, assuring her he trusted Jack's instincts by using this questionable but most likely effective approach. She still looked unconvinced as she bit her bottom lip, shook her head and challenged Jack. "You mean, so this person can report back to Ivo so he can decide to have me killed?"

"I wouldn't risk it if I didn't think we could end this today," Jack evenly replied, his tone confident and sure.

Claire took a step in Jack's direction, a hard look on her face. "Look, this isn't just about my own life being on the line. We still don't know where Martin is. We don't know if he's safe or…" she stopped talking, releasing a frustrated sigh as the dire assumption was left hanging in the air.

Danny knew that she didn't want to voice everyone's biggest fear as to why no one had heard from Martin in the last few days. If they wanted to keep moving forward, they had to do it thinking Martin could still be found alive.

Needing to assuage her fears, Danny met her eyes and said, "Jack knows what he's doing. You have to trust us. We want to find Martin as much as you do."

Claire studied his eyes, as if making sure he meant it before finally nodding and plopping herself down on the chair.

Jack shot Danny a thankful look when his cell phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he looked over at her and added, "I promise you, I am going to end this today." Claire looked up at him, her eyes silently praying that he could keep his word. Pressing the talk button, he answered, "Malone. Yeah. I'll be right there." Clicking off his cell, he looked at Danny and Claire and said, "Draper is about to talk to Risto. I'm going to join him. Hang tight."

Nodding at Jack, Danny watched as he exited the room. As soon as he was gone, Danny looked over at Claire who was nervously rubbing her wrists around the metal from the handcuffs.

"I think you're marked up enough to convince Risto," he said as he pulled his key from his pocket. "We can probably take these off for a bit."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Claire replied, holding up her wrists so he could un-cuff her. As soon as he unfastened them, she gave him a grateful smile and sighed with relief. "Thanks."

"No problem," Danny replied as he moved around the table to sit down opposite of her.

He glanced at the closed blinds, the room quiet as they both sat, uncertain just what they were supposed to be doing while waiting for Jack to return.

Clearing his throat, Danny looked over at Claire. Her head was lowered as she studied the red welts on her wrist, her fingers gently tracing them.

"Can I get you anything? Maybe something to drink?" he asked, thumbing in the direction of the door. "Or maybe you're hungry? I can have someone bring in something."

She lifted her head and smiled. "Got any donuts?"

"Sorry, Martin ate them all," he replied with small smile.

She released a soft, sad chuckle and nodded her head knowingly. He didn't need to ask to know that Martin must have told her about the day he had been eating a donut in front of Danny, propelling the man to seek out one of his own. He didn't know why exactly but he thought it was significant that Martin would share such a seemingly small detail with her on the same day that all of this had come to a head.

He fixed his gaze on Claire. Her head was lowered with her eyes were trained on the floor in the corner and he imagined her thoughts were not in this office but elsewhere. There was so much he wanted to ask her, so much he needed to know about all that transpired that led them here today. He decided to begin with the one question that although he had already heard the answer from Draper, he needed to hear it from her.

He shifted in his seat, rested his forearms on the table and asked, "How did you and Martin meet anyway?"

Claire looked up at him, seeming caught off guard by the personal nature of the question. With a faint smile tugging on the corner of her mouth, she replied, "I had been working an inter-bureau liaison," she paused to clarify. "My language skills make me useful to different areas of the government so I'm often moving around to help out wherever I'm needed." She smiled lamely and he wasn't sure if she was humble about her talents or if it was because she felt them to be more of a hindrance than anything else considering where they landed her.

She sat up straight in her chair and met his eyes. "Back then Martin was working White Collar in Seattle and his unit had a big case dealing with banking fraud. They learned that a lot of the money was being filtered through Afghanistan and North Korea and had a lot of documents that needed translation so I was sent out to help." She tilted her head, a soft gentle expression crossing her face at the memory. "It was for about three weeks and I was paired up with Martin so we worked together almost exclusively. I translated and he deciphered their relevance to the case because of his accounting background. We were holed up in a windowless conference room reading through pages and pages of records so we got to know each other pretty well…"

**XoX**

_Seattle  
FBI Field Office  
June 2001_

_Claire jotted some notes on the top of one of her pages and set it aside. She glanced across the table at Martin whose head was bent down as he read over some banking forms, carefully highlighting pertinent lines of text. It was just the two of them in the conference room this morning; the rest of the team was out in the field following up leads but she didn't mind. Over the last couple of days, the two of them had fallen into a comfortable routine working together. Their rapport came easily as if they had been working together for years and not days. _

_Tucking a strand of her light brown wavy hair behind her ear, she took a deep breath to try and ease the kink in her neck and back. Her muscles were tense from spending the last few hours hunched over reading. She glanced once more at Martin and had to restrain a smile when she noticed the tip of Martin's tongue poking out as he concentrated on whatever he was reading. Closing her eyes, she raised her arms over her head to stretch out, tilting her head side-to-side as the act soothed out any lingering stiffness when her cell phone started ringing. She sighed, guessing who the caller was. _

_Dropping her arms, she fished the device from her jacket pocket and glanced at the caller-ID and saw that it was Vince. Once again, she clicked the mute button to silence the ringer and set the phone aside. _

"_Avoiding someone?" She looked over to find Martin watching her, his face a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "That's the fourth time its rung this morning and you still haven't answered it." _

_She frowned. "Yeah, something like that."_

_He lowered his gaze and said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."_

"_No, its okay," she replied, waving her hand apologetically. She met Martin's gaze, his blue eyes watching her wonderingly. He had eyes that made her want to confess, to talk, share the most intimate parts of herself. He had eyes with no judgment, just empathy and concern. And before she knew it, she found herself explaining. "It's my husband. We had a fight before I left D.C.…" she trailed off, unsure just how much she was willing to say out loud. _

_Nodding slowly – almost sadly – Martin breathed, "I didn't know you were married." He motioned to her left hand, devoid of any baubles or accessories. "You don't wear a ring." _

_Her eyes flew to her hand. Her wedding finger was bare, not even a faint tan line was visible. "I left it at home." She didn't tell him that she had unceremoniously thrown the ring at her husband before storming out. _

_Licking his lips, Martin met her gaze and asked, "Is it something fixable?" _

_Reflexively her thumb rubbed up against the bare skin where a 3-karat ring was once held firmly in place and softly replied, "I don't know." _

_He lowered his head and cleared his throat. Tilting his head thoughtfully, he nervously toyed with his highlighter with both of his hands and gently prodded. "Judging by the way he's been calling I think he wants to try." _

_She slumped back in her chair and shrugged. "Do or do not. There is no try." _

_He laughed softly and grinned. "I'm impressed. You don't often hear women referencing Yoda."_

"_Star Wars was my life when I was a kid," she replied with a lopsided grin, happy for the moment of levity. _

"_You?" he mocked. "You have no idea how much I wanted to be a Jedi growing up."_

_She chuckled softly when her cell phone rang again. She glanced at the caller-ID to confirm it was Vince and not work related before hitting 'ignore' and setting it back down on the table. _

_Flicking his eyes to her cell, he asked, "That bad, huh?" _

_She sighed so heavily her entire body lowered itself deeper into her chair. She carefully reached over and ran her fingers over the cell, spinning it slowly on the table. "I just don't think I can handle hearing his voice right now." _

"_So love is blind but not deaf?" he wryly commented. _

_She met his eyes and rewarded him with a soft smile. "Actually, the problem is love is not only blind and deaf," she paused and added, "But it's also very, very dumb."_

_He didn't reply but just looked back at her, an unreadable expression on his face as if he were trying to figure out what she meant when her stomach released a loud gurgling sound. She automatically put her hand over her rumbling belly as if it would conceal the sound when she heard him laughing softly from across the table._

"_Someone's hungry," he observed. _

"_I didn't have a chance to eat before coming in this morning," she replied, slightly embarrassed. _

_He smiled his beatific grin and picked up his cell phone. "I can remedy that." He flipped open his phone and asked, "What do you want to eat?" _

_Grinning, Claire leaned forward and replied, "Well, I could really go for a cheeseburger."_

_He glanced at the clock mounted on the far wall and replied, "Don't you want something more along the lines of a muffin or bacon and eggs?"_

"_Bacon does sound good," she replied, as if considering his words. "Better make that a bacon cheeseburger." _

"_It's only nine in the morning," he said, as if he were telling her something she hadn't realized. _

"_Hey, my internal clock is still on D.C. time and back east it's 12:30 in the afternoon. I'm ready for lunch." She grinned at him mirthfully and he just shook his head._

_As he dialed, he stole a glance at her and said, "I guess food is food." Pressing his cell phone to his ear, he spoke, "Hello, this is agent Fitzgerald from the fifth floor. Yes, I'd like to order a bacon cheeseburger. Yeah, I'll hold." _

_Taking advantage of the moment, she smirked, sat back in her chair and explained, "Think about it, a cheeseburger has all the important food groups covered: dairy, grain, protein…and the pickles, tomato, and lettuce count as veggies." She paused and hungrily murmured, "It's all there piled into one delicious stack."_

_He fixed his eyes on hers, a skeptical expression on his face when he spoke into his phone again, "Yeah, that's right." He paused and stole a glance in her direction before adding, "You know, on second thought, make that two. Yeah. Thanks." She grinned at him victoriously when he clicked off his phone and looked directly at her. "What can I say, you convinced me." _

**XoX**

Still smiling from the memory, Claire finished, "I think we ate burgers for breakfast for the rest of the week."

"So you were the one who taught him about that, huh?" Danny replied, remembering when learned that little fact about the then new guy on the MPU team. It almost felt like a lifetime ago. Claire shrugged with a bittersweet smile on her face as if she felt the same way about her own memory. Working his jaw, Danny paused a moment before carefully asking, "So, back then…did you and Martin…you know…?"

She tilted her head, questioningly. "Are you asking me if we had an affair?"

Danny shrugged.

"Martin wasn't lying, you are a straight shooter," she replied, seemingly impressed. She sat up straight in her chair and shook her head. "No, we never moved our relationship in that direction."

"Really?" Danny replied, surprised. She was an attractive woman, he was a good-looking guy, factor in the marital troubles and her being across the country from her spouse and it seemed an easy assumption to make.

"Nope. Martin was a perfect gentleman," she replied, sounding somewhere between proud and regretful. She absentmindedly traced circles on the table with her fingers. "We just kept it somewhere between professional and friendship. Sure we flirted a bit but that's as far as it went." Her eyes danced as she added, "Don't get me wrong, if he had tried to make a move, I would have been incredibly tempted but he was very careful to not cross that line." She glanced at the closed door and said, "Samantha was right about him. He's an all or nothing sort of guy."

Danny nodded, knowing she was right. "Was that the last time you guys saw each other?"

"After we closed the case I headed back to D.C. but we kept in touch. Whenever we needed a favor or were in each other's town, we'd get together and catch up but it was always just as friends," she replied, propping her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her fist. "In 2002 I was assigned to Baghdad," she said as a pained look crossed her face. Instantly Danny wondered if her time there related at all to the scars on her body but before he could dwell on it, she finished, "When I got back to the states in 2003, he was dating Samantha and by the time I heard that they had broken up, I was getting ready to go under as Sanya so I guess we hadn't talked in almost four years." She lowered her gaze, a sad pensive expression on her face as she breathed, "We really have bad timing. I was married, he was single then I was single and he was dating Samantha, and then we were both single but I was undercover as a sham wife to a homosexual mobster…" she trailed off before looking up at him and with forced cheerfulness she quipped, "It's a classic love story, isn't it?"

"It's classic because its your love story," he gently replied, realizing how in just this short conversation why Martin loved her enough to risk so much.

She stared back at him with grateful eyes and opened her mouth to speak when the door swung open and Jack walked inside.

Startled at being pulled out of their quiet conversation, Danny quickly recovered and asked, "Did you get Risto to talk?"

With a tight jaw, Jack gruffly shook his head.

"I figured he wouldn't," Claire growled as she shot up and began pacing the small room. Running her hands through her hair she asked, "So what now?"

"I think Sanya needs to talk to her fiancée," Jack replied, crossing his arms.

She stopped her pacing and frowned. "Of course you do." She released a heavy, frustrated sigh and rubbed the back of her neck. "How are you going to explain my getting to talk to him when we were both supposedly placed under arrest?"

"I'll think of something," Jack replied, the wheels of his mind already moving to come up with a legitimate reason.

Looking drained but resolved, Claire nodded in acceptance before looking over at Danny. She held out her wrists and deadpanned, "Book 'em, Danno."

Danny stood up and started to unclip his handcuffs when there was a quick knock on the door. Suddenly, it flew open and Jenkins appeared.

"Hey," he greeted them, his eyes darting quickly at Claire. He looked surprised to find her standing, un-cuffed but before dwelling on it, he shifted his attention to Jack. "Ms. Kovac's lawyer's here. He has an injunction to stop her arrest."

"Excuse me?" Jack rumbled, sharing a look with Claire and Danny.

"Yeah," Jenkins replied, stepping further into the room. Stealing looks at Claire out of the corner of his eye, he explained, "He got another judge to void her warrant arguing the evidence is unsubstantiated and circumstantial."

Danny could see Jack's jaw clench, his eyes steady on Jenkins. Danny knew that look in Jack's eyes enough to see that he was beginning to have doubts about Jenkins; wondering if he made sure he was the one to come spring Sanya so he could find out just what they were doing in the interview room.

"Like I said," Claire announced, instantly reverting back to her alter ego by once again sounding like Sanya with a thick accent and a cool tone. Danny turned to look at her and she continued, an icy expression on her face, "You needn't bother putting those handcuffs back on me." She grinned at Jenkins and said, "Please fetch my lawyer and tell him that I demand to speak to my fiancée immediately."

Jack cleared his throat and turned to face Jenkins. "You heard her, go get her lawyer."

Jenkins nodded and exited the interview, casting them one last glance before exiting the room.

As soon as he was gone, Danny looked over at Jack and asked, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"You think he's the mole?" Claire asked, a hopeful look of expectation on her face.

Jack's gaze was still fixed on the door, an intense look of concentration on his face before he turned to face him and replied, "I'm thinking we need to do some research on Special Agent Jenkins."

* * *

**A/N: Big thank you to Anmodo for her patience and guidance with my hodge podge writing. Also a really big thank you to all of you who are reading this story and being so very patient between my updates. Thank you all so very much. **


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

**XoXoXoXoX**

Standing inside of Jack's office, Danny stared across the hallway into the adjacent conference room. He watched as Sanya spoke with her lawyer with animated flourish. Her metamorphosis from Claire to Sanya was so flawless that for the briefest second, Danny almost considered them to truly be two different people. Standing outside the door was an agent from Draper's team who was in charge of escorting her lawyer in the building. Danny met the other agent's eyes before returning his gaze towards Sanya. He couldn't hear what she was saying but he knew that she, as Sanya, was demanding that she get in to see Risto immediately.

"I still can't believe it," Sam breathed beside him. He turned to face her with a questioning look on his face but she kept her gaze fixed on Sanya as she continued, "He must have been so lonely to risk so much for someone like her."

There was remorse – and maybe some regret – in her voice and it took every ounce of restraint he possessed to not tell her the truth about Claire. Swallowing the urge down deep, he scoured his mind to try and come up with some plausible reply when he was saved from having to add another lie onto his piles of those accrued so far by the door to Jack's office opening up. He looked over just as Elena, Viv and Jack entered the room.

Elena met his eyes, her brown orbs filled with curiosity and concern before she sat down on one of the chairs. He hated lying period, but he hated it even more with her. It wasn't just the lying that bothered him. He wanted and even needed to be able to share his feelings about all of this with her. He yearned to discuss his fears and concerns about all that happened because he knew that she would be the one person in the world that would understand why he'd taken this all so hard.

"What's up Jack?" Viv asked, pulling Danny out of his introspection. He watched as she occupied the seat opposite of Elena and looked pointedly at Jack.

Jack moved around to sit in his own chair and rested his forearms on the desk. "I want you to dig up whatever you can on Jenkins. Start with his phone history, credit check and so forth." He handed a small piece of paper to Viv and added, "I have two cell phone numbers that I want you to cross reference against Martin's. They're disposable cells but one of them might still be active."

Viv glanced at the paper and asked, "Where did you get these numbers if they are disposable cells?"

"I have a reliable source," Jack answered, keeping his tone short – hoping that Viv would get the message that he couldn't say more at the moment.

Leaning against the wall, Danny nodded his head, barely perceptible, knowing that Jack got the phone numbers from Claire just a few moments ago. They were phone numbers that Risto had given to her just before the raid to use in case of emergency. As far as Danny was concerned, everything about this situation qualified as an emergency.

Sam stepped closer, her inquisitive eyes boring straight into Jack's. "Why are you having us look into Jenkins?"

"I have a hunch," Jack replied with a nonchalant shrug.

Elena's eyes darted over at Danny before landing on Jack. "Do you think he was in on it with Martin?"

Jack swallowed, taking a moment to consider his reply. "I'm thinking that there's more going on than we can see at the moment."

Nodding, Viv sighed heavily. "It won't be easy investigating Jenkins without raising any red flags."

"I know," Jack replied; his voice heavy but resolved. "Call in whatever favors you might have left. I want this kept under the radar until we know more. Work backward. We have enough on Martin to see if there are any links that way. Cross reference everything we have and see if anything clicks."

"What's going on?" Sam asked, her voice betraying her with frustration and emotion. "We need – no, we deserve more of an answer than that, Jack. You're being cryptic and evasive. We just want to know why."

On reflex, Danny shared a look with Jack.

"See, right there, what's that about?" Elena interrupted, her eyes fixed on Danny's face. "Did you find out something that you aren't telling us?"

Danny's eyes flicked over to Jack, partly to avoid Elena's gaze and partly to see what Jack was going to do. He wondered if he was going to tell them the truth about Martin's role in all of this, Claire working undercover, all of it, but Jack's face was blank, unreadable so he just stood there and silently waited for Jack to explain himself.

After a beat, Jack worked his jaw and replied, "I'm asking all of you to trust me for just a little bit longer. I promise, I will tell you everything but right now I just need you to find out whatever you can on Jenkins."

Viv narrowed her eyes at Jack, looking at him with a mixture of distrust and insight. "And then you'll tell us everything?"

Jack nodded. "Yes."

Hearing a knock on door, Danny almost breathed a sigh of relief for the disruption. They all looked over to see Draper push the door open with Jenkins standing right behind him. Jenkins craned his neck to look into the room, his eyes intently curious. Danny couldn't decide if Jenkins looked nervous because he suspected they were on to him or if he just seemed so suspicious because of what they knew about him now.

"Sorry, are we interrupting anything?" Draper asked, hovering in the doorjamb and looking around the room.

"Not at all," Jack casually replied, shooting the team a warning look to keep their cool. "What's up?"

"We're here to escort Sanya to talk to Risto," Draper said, giving them all a tight smile as he stepped further into the room.

Jack nodded and stood up. "Good, I'd like to observe if that's alright."

"Of course," Draper replied, giving everyone a nod before turning around and stepping across the hall to fetch Sanya.

As the door fell shut, Jack looked at Viv and said, "Come find me the second you find out anything."

"You got it," Viv said before standing up and moving to exit out the other door. As Sam and Elena followed, both women gave Danny and Jack one final inquisitive look before leaving to head back to their desks.

Danny blew out a breath, feeling relieved to not be under Elena's watchful gaze. He glanced at Jack and said, "I thought for sure you were going to tell them."

Jack shook his head and started to the door. "They'd ask more questions and we don't have time right now. I want them to focus on Jenkins." He reached for the door handle but paused and added, "But you have to admit, they're damn good agents to know something's up."

"Learned from the best," Danny quipped.

That garnered a small self-deprecating chuckle from Jack as they stepped out of the office in time to see Sanya exit the interview room with her lawyer, Jenkins and Draper. She eyed him and Jack standing in the hallway waiting for them and smiled.

"My, my, all these men escorting me to see my fiancé?" she teased, folding her arms. She released a mocking laugh and turned to face her lawyer as she added, "I feel very important."

Jack gave her a terse smile and motioned for them to start heading over.

A few moments later, they arrived at the interview room. Danny glanced inside to see Risto seated at the table looking more perturbed by the inconvenience of being held up in an interview room rather than actually being charged with a crime. In the corner of the room stood an agent Danny recognized as a floater who generally escorted visitors in the building but he couldn't remember his name. He smiled to himself, recalling that he and Martin often referred to him as Agent Muscles because he had short, thin blonde hair and judging by the thickness of his neck spent a lot of time in the gym.

Shifting his attention away from Agent Muscles, he looked over to where Sanya's lawyer was giving them instructions on how the interview was going to be run.

"I want the mics to the room turned off," the lawyer ordered, his pudgy face tight and serious. "It is a private discussion between a man and his fiancée so it's strictly off the record."

Jack crossed his arms and said, "Those privileges extend to married couples, not engaged."

"Argue with me on this and they'll be married tomorrow if need be," her lawyer retorted, cinching that this topic was a non-negotiable.

Danny lowered his head to conceal the smirk on his face knowing that it didn't matter if the mics were on or not. The lawyer may think he was defending Sanya Kovac but Danny knew that it was Claire Roberts who would tell them everything they needed to know.

"Its fine," Draper replied before looking directly at Sanya and motioning towards the door. "Ms. Kovac, follow me."

Sanya smiled appreciatively and followed him into the interview room while her lawyer stood at the window, close to the intercom as if carefully standing guard lest the agents couldn't be trusted to keep their word. He crossed his arms over his large chest and stared inside at his clients.

Through the two-way window, Danny watched as Sanya was reunited with Risto. When she entered, Risto stood up and embraced her while Agent Muscles shared a nod with Draper as he stepped out of the interview room to rejoin them in the hallway.

Since they couldn't hear Risto and Sanya's conversation, Jack, Draper, Jenkins and Danny congregated a few feet away from the lawyer so they could talk in private.

"So were you able to get any info from Sanya?" Jenkins quietly asked with his eyes focused inside the interview room.

He looked so casual that if Danny's suspicions hadn't already been aroused, he might not have noticed it as a probing question. Immediately Danny realized that this conversation was going to be much more interesting than the one in the interview room.

Clearing his throat, Jack casually replied, "Nothing new."

Jenkins nodded and in a move of forced casualness, he turned to look directly at Jack and asked, "So you weren't able to get her to give up Risto?"

Jack shook his head. "Nope."

Sighing disappointedly, Jenkins commented, "It's a shame she didn't give you any clues as to Martin's whereabouts. I was hoping she would be more cooperative." He pulled out his cell phone and started to send a text message as he shook his head sadly. "I was really hoping this would be over by now."

"It will be over soon enough," Jack evenly replied; his eyes fixed on Jenkins cell. As soon as he finished sending his text, Jenkins looked at Jack curiously. Jack smiled and explained, "It has to end sometime right?"

"Right," Jenkins warily replied as he planted a tight smile on his face and dropped his cell phone into his pocket.

Jack returned Jenkins' tight smile as he cocked his head, thinking. Danny couldn't help but think that this is where his mentor truly excelled. Jack kept his cards so close to his chest when talking to a suspect that you almost couldn't tell where he was really going. But to those privileged few who were in the know, they could see his minds wheels almost moving like a big cat getting ready to pounce on his prey. The best way to describe it was cool and methodical - and damn impressive to watch.

As Jack continued to stealthily study Jenkins, Danny shifted his attention back inside the interview room sensing that the conversation was paused for the time being. Danny glanced inside in time to see Risto holding Sanya's hand delicately in his as he whispered something in her ear. He found himself disgusted by the sight of Risto's hand on hers. He couldn't imagine how she had managed to carry on this role for over three years, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Or how Martin handled not being able to see the woman he loved whenever he wanted. Lord knows, Danny couldn't imagine not being able to see Elena every day.

Hearing footsteps headed their way, Danny turned to see Sam walking towards them, a look of urgency on her face. Jack stepped away from the group, meeting her halfway. Danny saw her give him a piece of paper and whisper something to him. They spoke quickly and quietly before she nodded and walked away. As he pocketed the piece of paper, Jack shared a dark, cool look with Danny before shifting his attention back into the interview room.

Deciding to continue following Jack's lead, Danny turned to see Risto give Sanya a kiss and pull her into a tight hug before whispering something in her ear. Stepping back, she nodded and gently caressed his face one last time before turning and exiting. They all watched as she disappeared through the doorway before reappearing around the corner of the hallway.

Ignoring Danny as she passed, Sanya strode directly up to her lawyer and not so nicely said, "I want to go home now."

"Absolutely, I'll take you…" her lawyer replied with a nod as he started to step away to lead her down the hall.

"No," she interrupted, shaking her head. "Risto needs you here because I'm sure these gentlemen aren't done with their questions yet." She shot them all dirty looks before facing her lawyer once more. "Besides, I'm a big girl, I can get myself home. Good night."

She gave them all one final nod as Draper instructed a nearby agent to escort her out of the building. Risto's lawyer asked to speak with Risto again and after Draper gave him the okay, he turned around and entered the interview room.

Watching Sanya as she walked down the hall, Jack said, "We should have her tailed. I'll make the call and set it up." He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and stared at it, a frustrated look on his face. "Damn, my battery is dead." He looked directly at Jenkins, pointed to the pocket where he had just dropped his cell phone and asked, "Can I borrow yours?"

"I can call in the tail," Jenkins said, reaching into his pocket and handing him the cell phone.

"I'd rather do it," Jack replied, holding out his hand. "I have a buddy who can get on it right away."

"Alright," Jenkins hesitantly replied, handing over his cell.

"Thanks," Jack replied as he quickly dialed. He pressed the phone to his ear when Jenkins jacket started to ring. Fixing his eyes on Jenkins, Jack asked, "Aren't you going to get that?"

Draper and Danny glanced between the two men, curious.

Carefully studying Jenkins, Draper asked, "Why do you have two phones?"

"I, uh," Jenkins stammered nervously.

"He needs two phones," Jack interrupted as he clicked off the cell phone. Holding it tightly in his hand he explained, "He needs one for his first job as an FBI agent and the second," he held up the phone he just used, "is for the second job where he moonlights as an informant for Ivo Komsic."

Instinctually, Danny drew his weapon and stepped closer, blocking Jenkins into the corner. Jenkins hand flew to his holster and Danny trained his gun at the man's forehead and darkly warned, "Go ahead, I dare you."

Jenkins eyes went wide, knowing he was trapped like a caged animal. Conceding defeat, he raised his hands up in front of his chest. Jack moved in and quickly took Jenkins gun, tucking it into the back of his waistband.

"What are you doing?" Draper asked Jack; his eyes wide and stunned. "What the hell is going on here?"

Jenkins laughed nervously and argued, "He's crazy…"

"Am I?" Jack replied as he started scrolling through the outgoing text messages. "Then why did you send a text message to someone that reads, 'You're in the clear'?"

All of the blood drained out of Jenkins face. "That doesn't prove anything," he argued, shaking his head anxiously. "I sent that to my friend letting him know… that I covered for him with his girlfriend."

"Wow, I seriously expected a better lie than that," Danny commented with a smirk as he traded glances with Jack.

Hard realization came crashing down and Draper grabbed Jenkins by the jacket and shoved him hard against the wall, fuming. "It was you?"

"He has no idea what he's talking about!" Jenkins argued, writhing in Draper's grasp. "You know me."

Draper slammed him back against the wall one more time. He kept his eyes hard and trained on Jenkins as he growled, "Jack, talk to me."

"We found proof that he has an account in the Cayman's that was closed a few hours after we found out about Martin's. We haven't been able to track the money exactly but my agents found another account under his dead mother's name." He held up the cell phone Jenkins had loaned him and added, "And this cell phone was used to send text messages to a disposable cell that we can link to Ivo."

"You son-of-a-bitch, I trusted you!" Draper spat as he took a swing at Jenkins, hitting him square in the jaw.

Jenkins hunched over in pain, his face contorted like a rat caught in a trap.

Danny's first instinct was to let Draper continue to rail into Jenkins but he knew it wasn't going to help so he grabbed Draper and pulled him off, saying, "Cool it!"

Jenkins hunched over and propped his hand on his thigh. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, winching as a pained expression crossed his face and mumbled, "Thanks."

"Fuck you," Danny snapped back.

Jenkins stood up and squared his shoulders. He eyed them all worriedly, clearly knowing that he was caught and there was no chance he could talk his way out now.

Draper yanked himself free from Danny's clutches and paced in front of the window, shooting venomous looks at Jenkins. Danny looked at Jack for a clue as to what they were going to do next when Jack's cell phone rang.

"I thought your phone was dead," Jenkins commented.

"My mistake," Jack dismissively replied as he pulled out his cell phone and answered, "We got him." He paused, listening to whatever the other person was saying. "Meet us in Olcyzk's office. Yeah, I'm sure."

"What's going on Jack?" Draper asked, his eyes still shooting daggers at Jenkins.

"I'll tell you when we get there." Jack replied as he grabbed Jenkins by the arm and gently shoved him down the hallway to the elevator.

They boarded and all the way from across the elevator Danny could feel the waves of rage rolling off of Draper towards Jenkins. He understood the level of betrayal that Draper was feeling: he felt that way when he thought Martin had done the same. At least Danny was consoled in knowing that his friend was innocent.

As the doors closed and they started their ascent, Jenkins pressed his back to the wall and said, "I'm not talking without a lawyer."

"We just need to make sure you can't call Ivo." Jack coolly commented, as he scrolled through Jenkins' cell phone, reading over old texts and call history.

"If you were right about me," Jenkins replied, his hand rubbing over his jaw. "It wouldn't matter if I called him. Sanya is already on her way and you've wasted too much time dealing with me to put a tail on her now."

"Maybe," Jack replied, not bothering to look up from the cell phone.

Draper narrowed his eyes at Jenkins and asked, "Did you know that Martin was in on it?"

"Why would I know if Martin is on it?" Jenkins replied, lowering his head and staring at the floor, essentially shutting down. "I'm innocent"

"Cut the crap!" Draper growled. "It's just us here. This is all off the record and inadmissible in court so why don't you just tell us the truth?"

Jenkins raised his head, a smirk on his face. "Off the record, I was just as shocked as you were to find out that he was on the take." He smirked and added, "I always figured he was too uptight to do anything like this."

"Why did you do it?" Draper asked; his tone softer, the hurt and betrayal seeping through into his words. "I trusted you. You were on your way up in the ranks."

"You mean the ranks all the way up to a grade 14 where I am lucky to afford a new car once every two years? The ranks where I keep doing the job day after day and nothing ever changes?" he bitterly scoffed, his eyes dark and cold. "You've seen the guys we go after. We try and arrest them and they just keep getting off and going back to their lives with the fancy cars, big houses and vacations in places I could never afford. Meanwhile I live in a studio in Brooklyn that I can barely afford working my 'honest job.'" He shook his head disgusted. "I was tired of it. I thought it was my time to live a little."

Draper looked away disgusted before clearing his throat and asking, "Tell us where Martin is."

"I don't know," Jenkins replied, working his tongue into his cheek.

"You expect us to believe that?" Danny snapped back.

"I'm telling you the truth. I don't know."

"Help yourself. It's all coming down tonight and this is your last chance to deal," Draper said, anxiously.

"He's telling the truth," Jack interjected, his eyes steady on Jenkins. "Ivo never trusted you with the details, did he? He just asked the questions but never gave you any answers. We know that he and Risto always kept his circle tight so there's no way he would include you in his plans so that way when you got caught you couldn't make any deals. Isn't that right?"

Jenkins may have remained silent but his expression revealed that Jack had hit the nail on the head. The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors slid open. Draper grabbed Jenkins and not so gently escorted him towards Olcyzk's office.

There were two agents standing outside of Olcyzk's door, dour expressions on their faces as they watched them approach. Draper shoved Jenkins towards them and ordered, "Cuff him and take him to the conference room at the end of the hall. Do not let him out of your sight, do not let him use the phone, and do not let him talk to anyone. If he needs to take a leak, I want you standing next to him. Am I making myself clear?"

Both agents nodded and quickly ushered Jenkins down the hall. Still radiating anger, Draper closed his eyes, pressing his finger and thumb hard against the lids and said, "I can't believe this. He was right there next to me this whole time."

"Don't beat yourself up," Jack replied. "I never suspected Martin."

Opening his eyes, Draper looked at Jack and said, "At least you can take comfort in knowing that he's one of the good guys."

"Still doesn't change the fact that he wasn't the guy I thought he was and he lied to me. Even though his purpose was good, he still lied to me…to all of us," Jack responded as he traded a knowing glance with Danny.

That said, Jack turned towards Olcyzk's office and opened the door, not bothering to knock, and walked in ahead of them. When Danny entered, the only person in the office was Claire. Olcyzk was nowhere in sight. He briefly wondered where Olcyzk was but before he could think about it too long, Claire hurried towards them.

She immediately walked up to Jack and asked, "Where is he? What did he tell you?"

"We have him sequestered in a conference room…" Jack began.

"Did he tell you where Martin is?" Claire asked, cutting to the chase.

"He doesn't know anything," Jack replied, disappointment evident in his voice. "Ivo wouldn't trust him with intel." Claire lowered her head and sighed, frustrated and disappointed. Needing to keep moving forward, Jack asked, "What did Risto tell you?"

Claire looked up, Jack's words drawing her back. "He wants me to talk to Ivo…" she began unsteadily.

**XoX**

_As Claire neared the door she did her best to steady her nerves. She knew that while she had the luxury of being Claire with Danny, she needed to come across as the Sanya that Risto knew her to be. So as soon as she entered, she planted a wry smile on her face and reached Risto in two long strides. _

"_Zdravo,__*****__" she greeted before leaning over and kissing him. He pulled her head close, letting the kiss linger. She hated times like these, times when he felt a need to assert his masculinity by proving to anyone watching that he was a real man. She did her best to go along with the ruse, trying to ignore how the fact that he tasted like cigarettes and the martini he drank earlier. _

_He broke the kiss first and whispered, "My leptir."_

_She caressed his face tenderly in response to hearing him call her by the pet name he had given her. Leptir meant butterfly in Croatian. He had given it to her because he claimed that she was a caterpillar when she arrived in the United States. He often commented that when he met her she was guarded and hard but under his protection and care she thrived and emerged from her cocoon into a beautiful butterfly. Ironically, after years of living with Risto, she related more to the caterpillar trapped in a pupa. _

_Glancing at the agent standing in the corner, she narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously before taking the seat next to Risto. _

"_Kako si?" she tenderly asked, knowing that a dutiful fiancé would want to know how her love is doing. _

_Reaching out, he took her hands in his and replied, "Dobro, dobro." _

_She tilted her head sympathetically, listening as he told her he was doing fine. She smiled and quietly whispered, "What can I do for you? I want to help."_

_His eyes flicked to the mirrored window knowing that they were being watched. He shifted closer to her, leaned in close and softly replied, "Listen, you must do something for me."_

"_Anything," she earnestly replied as her eyes fell to their clutched hands. "Just ask."_

_He moved his face close to hers, his breath warm on her cheek. "I want you to call see Ivo at the phone number I gave you. Tell him to finish the business at the icebox and he must make sure the bar is set up. He was expecting me to be there to help fry the fish for the big dinner party but since I cannot make it, he must do it without me." _

_She stared back at him, questioningly. "The dinner party?"_

"_Ivo knows about it," he replied. "Just give him the message and let him handle it. Will you do this for me?"_

_She nodded, adamantly. "Of course." _

_Risto smiled and gently caressed her hands. "Good, I knew I could always count on you." _

_She licked her lips, worriedly and quickly glanced at the agent in the corner before leaning in close as she quietly and carefully explained, "They've been asking me questions about… my boy scout." He looked away at hearing her refer to Martin by their private nickname for him. She squeezed his hand to regain Risto's attention. She waited until he looked back before she finished, "They said he's missing." _

_Risto frowned and shrugged. "That's too bad." _

"_Risto," she said, tilting her head and forcing him to look her in the eye. "They think you may have had something to do with it."_

_He met her eyes, squeezed her hand hard and evenly asked, "What did you tell them?"_

"_I told them that you would never do anything," she replied, wincing as he gripped her hands tightly. _

_Loosening his hold, Risto smiled and kissed her hands. "Good, good."_

_Taking a chance, she decided to keep probing and carefully asked, "Risto, do you know where he is?" Risto stared back at her, the look in his eyes making her blood curdle. With a racing heart, she repeated, "Risto?"_

_He stared back at her silently before suddenly his lips curved up into a big grin. He reached up and cupped her face. It might have seemed tender to an outsider but she knew better: he was trying to assert his control over her. He met her eyes and replied, "Do not worry about him. I am sure he will turn up eventually." _

_She felt her heart drop. She swallowed the lump in her throat and shakily asked, "What do you mean?" _

_Risto just shrugged and averted her gaze as he stood up and said, "You should go now."_

_Conflicted between wanting to force Risto to decipher his cryptic meaning and needing to continue the investigation, she managed to stand up and nod. "Yeah, um, I should go."_

_Pulling her into a hug, Risto kissed her and into her ear, he whispered, "Don't forget to call Ivo."_

_She pursed her lips, trying to reign in her emotions and nodded. "Yes, of course. _

_As they broke apart, he smiled coolly and said, "Do videnja."_

_Feeling too fragile to reply, she simply nodded again and exited the room. _

**XoX**

"We have to go back right now and get Risto to tell us what the hell he meant," Danny demanded, rage and panic coursing through his veins thinking about Risto's ominous comment.

"No, we can't play our hand with him quite yet," Jack replied.

Danny shook his head and argued, "Jack, I've gone along with you so far but it sounds like he…" he trailed off, unable to say what they all must be thinking: that Risto may have already killed Martin.

Shaking his head, Jack grimly replied, "If he did do something than it's already done." He bit his lip, looking almost shaken by his own proclamation. "No, we need to get to Ivo." He turned to look at Claire, who still looked visibly upset by her conversation with Risto. "What did Risto mean by icebox?"

Taking a breath, Claire shakily replied, "That's what he calls this fish company he owns, the 'ice box.' I don't know why exactly."

Jack looked at Draper and asked, "Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this company?"

"It was clean," Draper replied, shaking his head thoughtfully. "We ran checks into its financial history and I even had it under surveillance for a few weeks but Jenkins…" he stopped talking as an anguished expression crossed his face. "Shit. He probably covered it up for Ivo."

Claire's worried eyes darted between the men as she said, "It could be where they're holding Martin."

Danny smiled slightly, touched that despite all the information she learned, Claire still had hope for Martin. Looking over at Jack, Danny asked, "What do you want to do, Jack?"

Jack squared his shoulders and replied, "I want to go fishing."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
A/N: HUGE, GIANT Thanks to Anmodo! She was invaluable in helping me with this chapter. She totally deserves co-author credit for her 'contributions' to the story. ;-) Any mistakes are mine for the stuff that I couldn't resist 'tweaking' before uploading. Also, a big thanks to all of you who are still reading and I hope and pray that you are enjoying it still. Particularly MS fans. ;-) **


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

XoXoXoXoX

Shifting his hands on the steering wheel, Danny stole a glance at Elena sitting in the passenger seat. Her face was pensive but hard, her eyes focused on the road ahead. Taking a breath, he returned his gaze to the road, quickly checking his rearview mirror to make sure Jack's car was still behind him.

This was the first chance Danny had to be alone with Elena since Jack told the rest of the team about Martin's true role in all of this. About how Claire was working undercover and, most importantly, when and how they found out.

And since discovering that Danny had been lying to her this whole time, there was an awkward, tense silence between them – a silence that Danny intended to end right now.

"I wanted to tell you – more than anything. You know that, right?" Danny asked, willing her to believe him and hoping beyond hope that she would understand.

Still keeping her eyes on the road in front of him, with her voice barely a whisper, she replied, "I know."

He quickly looked in her direction, wondering if in fact she did. When she didn't say another word, he sighed heavily and returned his focus to his driving.

XoX

_Silence hung heavy in the room as Jack kept to his word and gave them full disclosure about Martin, Claire, Sanya, Draper, Jenkins, all of it. _

_Danny felt his entire body tense up, waiting for them to verbalize their reactions. Actually it wasn't everyone's reaction that he was most anxious about – he was most concerned with how Elena would react at knowing he had been withholding the truth from her. He stared over at her, waiting with bated breath for her reaction but she just lowered her head and stared at the floor._

_Sam stood up and paced the small space beside Jack's desk. "So Martin is actually innocent and now we think he is being held – or whatever – because Ivo knows he was reporting back to Draper about Risto and not the other way around?" _

"_That's the gist of it," Jack carefully replied. _

"_So Martin has been lying to us this whole time, just in not the way that we thought," Viv bitterly said, her brow furrowed and a frown on her face. _

"_Look I understand feeling…let down…by Martin concealing this from us but the good news is that he isn't a traitor," Jack explained, his eyes carefully scanning all their faces. _

_Viv stood up. "Of course you understand." _

_Jack bristled. "And what's that supposed to mean?"_

"_It means that we seem to have a lot of hidden agendas in this unit and…" she trailed off, her jaw tight as she shook her head and crossed her arms. _

"_And? Go ahead and say it," Jack responded, knowing exactly what she was thinking._

_She released a heavy sigh and mumbled, "It just means I'm tired of every one on this team feeling the need to go it alone." _

_Feeling the need to defend both Martin and himself, Danny cleared his throat and explained, "To be fair, Draper made it clear that Martin didn't want to lie to us but they needed to keep it as quiet as possible to flush out the real mole. He was only doing what he thought would bring down Risto so Claire could finally be free of him."_

_Viv stared back at him, their eyes meeting in a silent understanding. He knew that of all people on the team, he would be the one to sympathize with her the most. He was the one who took her side when Jack went rogue so many months ago. _

_After a beat, Viv nodded her head slowly and sat back down. "I'm may be mad at him but I'm relieved to know he is still the good man I thought he was." Danny curved his lips up into a very slight smile, thankful she was willing to give them all the benefit of the doubt when she frowned again and added, "But I am still very angry at you two for not telling us sooner. You let us continue to think Martin was a traitor."_

"_We had to wait until we had the mole identified," Jack responded, frustration creeping into his voice. Danny knew Jack hated having to explain or defend himself to anyone and this wasn't any different._

"_And Jenkins' is the mole?" Sam pointedly asked, her tone edgy and tense as she clenched and unclenched her hands. Danny couldn't decide if she wanted to hit Jack for lying or Martin for putting them all through this but wasn't about to ask either. _

"_Yes," Jack answered. _

"_Where is Jenkins now?" Elena asked. Danny's eyes immediately flew to her, her soft voice breaking through like the calm in a storm. _

"_Under arrest upstairs," Jack replied. _

_Sam stopped her pacing and said, "So, Martin was posing as a spy for Risto in order to help flush out the real mole." She paused, waiting for Danny and Jack to nod that she was on the right track. "And Sanya Kovac is really Claire Roberts – who is also working undercover." They nodded again. Sam crossed her arms and asked, "And where is she?"_

"_She's with Draper and a tech getting fitted with a mic and camera," Jack explained. "We're going to meet them at the warehouse." _

"_And you think Ivo is holding Martin at the warehouse?" Sam asked, her voice sounding more hopeful that they would finally find Martin and less angry about being kept in the dark._

"_That's what we're__betting on," Jack confirmed. "We're hoping that Claire posing as Sanya will be able to get Ivo to talk."_

_Nodding, Sam stopped her pacing and looked directly at Danny. "And the…relationship with Claire – that's real?" _

_Danny nodded slowly, surprised that even after all this time and all that happened in both Martin and Sam's lives that he still managed to feel strange discussing one with the other when it came to their love lives. _

"_Look we should go," Jack announced, standing up. "Draper is already on his way and I'm not about to let him do this raid without me." Everyone nodded, silently agreeing to table the discussion since there were bigger concerns at the moment. _

XoX

"Say something, Elena," Danny pleaded, needing more than anything to hear something from her. "What are you thinking?"

She worked her jaw and opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before she finally found her voice. "I'm thinking about Carlos."

Of all the things she could possibly say, that was the last thing he ever expected to hear. "Carlos?" he repeated, almost feeling irritated that she would think of him at a time like this.

Finally glancing in his direction, she shrugged. "I was thinking about how easy it was for Carlos to lie to me. He was so good that I never once suspected he was lying until he was caught in one. It was like a knife to the heart to know how easily I could be fooled."

"I'm…I'm not Carlos," he responded, his defenses automatically going up. "How could you compare—?"

"I know," she interrupted with a smile. "I knew that you were holding something back but…" she paused, collecting her thoughts before beginning again, "With Carlos I needed to know because I knew that he was lying and whatever he was holding back it was because he was probably betraying me." When she spoke it was matter-of-fact, not anger or bitterness, just the plain truth. He wondered where she was going with this explanation when she reached out, taking his hand in hers. "But with you, I suspected something was up but, I don't know, I just trusted you."

Suddenly a feeling of relief washed over him, he squeezed her hand in response before pulling their entwined fingers to his lips, kissing hers softly.

She laughed softly and playfully shook her head. "You're not completely off the hook, mi amor. I'm still not happy that you didn't tell me."

"I'll make it up to you," he promised.

"I know you will because the entire time I could see in your eyes that you wanted to. I love that I can trust you this way." She shifted in her seat so she could face him fully and tenderly said, "That's what I was thinking."

Nodding, he smiled and kept her hand in his thinking how lucky he was to have her in his life when he remembered just why he had to lie to her in the first place. An image of Martin flashed in his mind and as quickly as joy was in his heart at hearing Elena's words, his stomach twisted with dread wondering what they were going to find when they arrived at their destination.

So clutching her hand tightly in his, needing the reassurance and comfort of her touch, he pressed down on the accelerator and continued driving to find his friend.

A short while later, Danny pulled the car behind the surveillance RV that was parked behind a warehouse next to Risto's business. It was large enough to conceal them from the fish company so they could coordinate their strategy. There was a small flurry of activity, FBI agents prepping for the raid and SWAT hurrying to get into position. As Danny got out of the car, he popped the trunk so he and Elena could grab their FBI windbreakers and Kevlar. Meeting her at the rear of the car, he reached into the trunk and handed her the gear.

Taking it, she gave him a grateful smile and said, "Be safe."

"You too," he replied, pulling his Kevlar over his head and fastening it.

As Danny shrugged on his FBI windbreaker, he spotted Draper and Claire standing in the RV as a tech put something in a purse before handing it to her. Danny couldn't help but think how fragile Claire looked when she wasn't pretending to be Sanya. He wondered how she was able to seamlessly mold herself into someone she clearly wasn't.

Walking up to the back of the RV, he heard the tech give Claire instructions. "The mic is good but the camera is better," he said, pointing to her purse. "Now you need to keep the camera aimed forward so we can see everything."

Claire nodded as she took the purse and placed the strap over her shoulder. She turned to exit the RV when she spotted Danny and Elena.

Giving him a sheepish smile as she stepped down, she said, "Hey."

"You ready for this?" he asked as she approached.

She shrugged. "As ready as I'm ever going to be." He gave her an encouraging nod and was rewarded with a small smile. Squaring her shoulders, she looked at Elena so he decided now was as good a time as any for the two women to be properly introduced. "Claire Roberts," he waved his hand between the two women, "Elena Delgado."

Elena offered up a warm smile and shook Claire's hand. He could see Claire try and return the grin but it didn't quite reach her eyes, her concern and worry for Martin weighing down too heavily.

"Agents," Draper announced, walking up to them. He looked directly at Claire and said, "Remember, if you feel any danger at all just say 'chapstick.' You got that?"

Nodding, Claire repeated, "'Chapstick.'"

Hearing footsteps approach, Danny turned in time to see Jack, Sam and Viv walking in their direction, also wearing their windbreakers and Kevlar.

As they neared, Danny stepped back, giving them space to join the huddle. He watched as Jack and Draper exchanged the obligatory SAC nods of acknowledgment while Sam gave Claire an appraising, evaluating look. Claire noticed and caught Sam's eyes, the two women shared a look of understanding, sympathy.

Jack cleared his throat, drawing back Claire's attention. He looked directly at her and instructed, "I don't want to send you in alone but we aren't sure if Martin is in there and don't want to tip our hand." He inhaled deeply, his nostrils opening wide before he said, "Do you think you can be Sanya a little bit longer?"

She met his eyes and without hesitation she replied, "It's for Martin, I can do whatever I need to do."

Giving them all one final resolved nod, she turned and walked to a waiting BMW and climbed inside. Moments later the car roared to life and they all watched as she drove away and turned the corner around the warehouse. As soon as she was gone, they turned and headed into the RV to watch the camera feed.

As they walked, Draper informed Jack that tactical was already in place and he had snipers on the two adjacent roofs. Jack nodded but judging by his expression his thoughts were elsewhere – most likely on the inside of that warehouse.

The team crowded into the RV, Draper and Jack took position at the counter closest to the monitors while Sam and Viv stood directly behind them, flanked by Elena and him. There was nothing to see at first, just the interior of a car. Danny guessed Claire had set the purse down on the passenger seat. Suddenly the camera began a series of stilted shots and it was clear Claire had parked the car and was headed to the building.

Into the mic, Draper said, "Remember, we're right here." He leaned in and studied the monitor adding, "We can hear and see everything and I can communicate with you through your earpiece so just relax…"

Suddenly Claire's voice filled the RV through the speakers. "It would be a lot easier to relax if you stopped talking."

A flutter of chuckles filled the RV before Jack pulled the mic closer to him and replied, "We're shutting up now."

Seconds later, the monitors sprang to life. As Sanya neared the door, they spotted two men guarding the entrance. Danny clocked that they both wore holsters and were carrying 9mm's. They nodded at her and one of them opened the door and stepped aside so she could enter.

Suddenly the screen filled with images of the interior of the warehouse. There were two more men lingering nearby. There was a short but stocky man with large muscular arms and a crew cut who was sitting on a stool reading a magazine and another, who was taller with dark olive skin and a shaved head who was leaning against a wall, texting on his cell phone.

Upon seeing Sanya, they both stood up at attention and the taller one asked, "Ms. Kovac, I didn't know you were coming."

In her cool, clipped Croatian voice, Sanya said, "I am here for Ivo. Where is he?"

"Right here," Ivo's voice rang out. Turning, they watched on the monitor as Ivo appeared in the doorway leading to the rear of the warehouse. He was wiping his hands dry with an old rag and seemed surprised to see her.

"Zdravo," Sanya greeted, taking a few steps towards him, bringing him into focus on the screen.

Tossing the towel onto a nearby counter, Ivo said, "What are you doing here? I didn't think the lawyer would be able to get you out so soon." He craned his neck as if looking behind her and asked, "Where is Risto?"

Danny noted that Ivo's tone was different with Sanya when Risto was not around. He seemed very cold to her, almost distrustful. It was quite clear that there was no love loss between them.

"He's still at the FBI building," she replied; brushing past Ivo and entering the rear of the warehouse. She set her purse down on the counter giving them a nice steady cam shot of the entire room. "But he wanted me to give you a message." Sanya appeared in the shot, she looked casual as she scanned the warehouse for any signs of foul play.

Jack leaned in close to the monitor and pointed at something in the corner. "Check that out." Danny and the rest of the team shifted their attention to where he directed and saw a dark spot on the floor that looked like a pool of blood.

Viv pointed to the counter next to it that was piled high with gutted fish. "There's no way to know if it's human or from the fish."

Danny ran his hand over his head and shared a worried look with Sam, each knowing that while Viv was right it didn't do much to ease their fears.

Ivo walked up to where Sanya was standing, crossed his arms and asked, "What's the message?"

Mimicking his posture, she replied, "He was curious about the status of the boy scout."

Ivo stared down at her and darkly replied, "He is of no consequence." Danny felt his knees sway at hearing the dark implication of Ivo's words but before he could dwell on them, Ivo asked Sanya, "Is that really why Risto sent you?"

Playing her role, Sanya smiled and shook her head. "He also wanted me to tell you to finish your business here," she replied, turning around as if curiously studying the room as if she wanted to redecorate rather than look for any clues as to Martin's whereabouts, she added, "He told me to tell you to make sure the bar is set up and that he can't come to the big dinner party."

Ivo nodded. "I suspected he wouldn't be out in time." He turned, walked back to the doorway and dismissively said, "Well, you have delivered the message. You can leave now."

Sanya walked over to the area where they had spotted the pool of blood earlier and asked, "What's this?"

Releasing a frustrated sigh, Ivo replied, "It's none of your concern."

Her head flew up and she stared darkly at Ivo. "If it involves my missing boy scout it is my concern."

Ivo cocked his head at her and replied, "_Your_ boy scout?" Taking measured steps, he approached her and asked, "Why are you here? Really?"

She met his eyes, unflinching despite his hard tone. "I can help you. I think I've proved I am an asset. I got you Martin…"

Ivo released a loud, guttural, mocking laugh. "You think screwing an FBI agent makes you invaluable?" He laughed again and in a biting, scathing tone said, "You're not the only one with connections." He gave her an accusing look. "And I don't have to fuck mine to get information."

Not missing a beat, Sanya bit back. "No, you just fuck Risto."

Ivo's hand flew up and he gave her a hard backhanded slap. Sanya stumbled back the force, using her hand to grab the counter to steady herself. Ivo leaned into her face and growled, "You do not talk to me that way."

Inside the RV, Danny's hand reached for his holster and he pivoted on his heels ready to storm the warehouse when Jack looked at him and ordered, "No, not yet!" Danny spun around, ready to challenge the directive when Jack said, "He's just trying to assert himself. She's okay."

Despite every instinct in his body shouting for him to get Claire out of there, Danny worked his jaw and remained in the RV. Huffing out a frustrated breath, he looked back at the monitor to check and see how Sanya was doing, when Ivo pointed his finger in her face and shouted, "It's because of you that the FBI arrested Risto."

Standing up and squaring her shoulders, Sanya appeared unfazed by the abuse. She reached up to touch her cheek where Ivo's ring had left a nasty gash, wincing as soon as her fingers made contact. She pulled her hand back, studied the blood on her fingertips and worked her jaw for a beat before finally meeting Ivo's eyes and asking, "Excuse me?"

Risto shook his head with an icy stare and got so close to her face, his nose almost bumped into her forehead, and seethed. "I doubt it's a coincidence that all of this business with the FBI came down after you started getting more involved in the business. I think your precious boy scout is the reason that Risto is in jail now."

Holding her ground, Sanya stared up at him and angrily replied, "What are you talking about? I'm nothing but loyal and Martin is loyal to me!"

"I know he is loyal to you," Ivo snapped back when he suddenly grabbed Sanya by the hair and dragged her back to the area with the blood. Controlling her head, he pointed to the floor and shouted, "You see this? This is what is left of your boy scout because he refused to betray you!"

Draper sprang up from his chair and shouted, "We're going in!"

The scene erupted as all of the agents raced to the scene with guns drawn. Rather than announcing themselves to those inside, they approached silently and stealthily. As they neared, Danny saw that SWAT had reached the two men manning the entrance first. They aimed their weapons at the two men, easily taking them down. The doorway secured, SWAT looked at Draper and Jack for guidance on how to proceed.

"We have a female agent inside," Jack explained, clutching his gun tightly. "We need to take them quickly and by surprise." He then ordered Elena, Viv and Draper to move around to the side entrance in order to prevent any possible escapes, while he, Danny, and Sam would enter through the front.

As the rest of the team moved into place, Jack looked at Danny and Sam to confirm they were ready. They both nodded and Jack jerked his chin, silently directing a SWAT officer to open the door.

With his heart thundering in his chest, Danny moved in ahead of Jack with his gun trained and his finger ready on the trigger. As soon as he entered, he saw the two men from earlier hovering near the doorway to the back room, staring at something inside. When Danny followed their gaze, he saw that Claire was struggling against Ivo.

Ivo shoved her against a wall, her body hitting it with a loud thud. As soon as she stood up, he grabbed her by the neck, wrapped his hands around her neck and started to choke her. She gasped for breath as Ivo tightened his hold but she managed to wrestle free by kneeing him in the groin. As he hunched over, she punched him in the face and started to make a run for it. As soon as she reached the door, Ivo shouted for his men to stop her and the two men pulled their weapons and aimed them directly at her.

"FBI!" Jack and Danny shouted simultaneously.

With his weapon raised and trained on one of the men and Sam aimed hers at the other while Jack kept his on Ivo.

Not willing to go down without a fight, the stocky man spun around and fired his weapon while the other ducked behind a nearby barrel.

Danny fired back, hitting the stocky man squarely in the chest. The man stumbled back by the force of the gunshot, crashing into a nearby crate full of fish before finally falling to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, Danny saw Ivo grab Claire, pulling her back into the room and then slam the door shut.

Before he could react, another gunshot rang out. He quickly ducked behind a nearby counter. He looked to his left and saw that Jack and Sam had sought cover behind an adjacent counter and were creeping to the opposite end, their guns trained on where the gunfire was coming from. Danny peeked around the corner of his counter and saw the bald guy from earlier crouched behind the barrel, the tip of his knee protruding.

"Put your weapon down!" Jack shouted.

The man answered by firing three more shots in Sam and Jack's general direction. Taking advantage of the man's distraction, Danny aimed his gun at the man's knee and fired.

"AUGH!" the man shouted, writhing in pain as he grabbed for his knee.

They all raced towards him with their guns still drawn. Sam kicked the man's gun away while Jack cuffed him.

Knowing that it was under control, Danny raced to the door to the backroom. He carefully reached over and turned the doorknob, pushing it open. He paused waiting to see what would happen but when it was still quiet, he carefully peered inside and spotted Claire and Ivo fighting.

Ivo had a gun and she was struggling against him. Using her elbow, Claire hit Ivo in the nose and Danny heard a loud pop, indicating that she had broken his nose. However, Ivo was not easily deterred by the injury. With blood gushing from his nose, he pushed her back and using the gun, he whacked her on the side of the head, knocking her to the ground where she lost consciousness.

Ivo wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve and slowly raised his weapon, aiming it directly at Claire's head, cocking the gun.

At that exact moment, Danny raised his own weapon and fired.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
A/N: I promise, Martin's fate will be revealed in the next chapter which is actively being beta'd and will post in two days tops. I would also like to once again praise all that is Anmodo. Words cannot express how much hard work she has invested in this fic. Her patience, expertise, and 'contributions' to this fic have been invaluable. Big thanks to her.


	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

**XoXoXoXoX**

Crouching down next to Claire, Danny yanked off his windbreaker, balled it up and placed it gently under her head. He checked her pulse, releasing a sigh of relief when he saw that it was slow and steady. He sat back on his heels, relieved that while she was unconscious she was still very much alive. He gave her a cursory examination of her wounds, checking to see if there were any that demanded immediate attention. The places were Ivo hit her were an angry shade of red and he was certain they would be deep purple and hurt like hell tomorrow, but as far as he could tell, none of her injuries were life threatening.

"Ugh, jebi," Ivo cried as he pressed his hand to his shoulder to try and stop the bleeding. It didn't take someone fluent in another language to recognize the sounds of someone cussing. "Govna."

"Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?" Jack asked Ivo, staring down at him looking as if he were feeling anything but sympathetic.

"Jebi se," Ivo spat, glowering at Jack he struggled to sit up.

"Fuck you, too," Jack replied, returning the dirty look before turning away from Ivo and his injury. Wordlessly, Jack pulled off his own windbreaker and held it out for Danny. Accepting it, Danny laid it over Claire, carefully tucking it around her trying to keep her warm.

Looking away, disgusted, Ivo slid to the wall and rested his back against it. His breathing was labored and he seemed to be in quite a bit of pain but deciding to keep quiet, he simply leaned back and observed Jack and Danny warily, waiting to see what happens next.

"Paramedics are on their way," Sam announced as she walked into the room, looking anxious, still pumped full of adrenaline from earlier.

"Any sign of Martin?" Jack asked, his eyes flicking over to Ivo, watching his face for any reaction.

"Nothing yet," Sam replied, shaking her head sadly. Jack nodded as if he expected that reply before shifting his attention back to Ivo, thinking. Scanning the scene, Sam's eyes landed on Claire. "How is she?"

Glancing down at the woman, Danny replied, "I think she's just knocked out."

"I think she's a lying bitch," Ivo commented, staring loathingly at Claire.

Jack shot Ivo a look of pure venom, effectively shutting Ivo up as he moved closer looking ready to inflict harm. He grabbed Ivo by the collar of his shirt and pulled him into a standing position. "And I think it's time you and I had a conversation." He shoved Ivo into a nearby chair, the man grimacing at the force of Jack's hands on him. Jack yanked Ivo's arms, pulling them behind the chair and cuffing him into place. As he started rolling up his sleeves, Jack shot a quick look at Sam and ordered, "Shut the door."

Sam met Jack's eyes and without hesitation, stepped over and pulled the door shut.

Danny slowly stood up, conflicted about what was going to happen. He met Jack's eyes and saw that he must have sensed Danny's unease. Because the look he gave Danny was clear and unmistakable: if he didn't like what was about to happen, he could go stand on the other side of the door. The problem was, as unsure as Danny was, he couldn't bring himself to exit either. He felt too wired and too worried to protest, needing to watch and hear what Ivo was going to say.

Glancing quickly at Claire to make sure she was alright, Danny joined Sam at manning the door. He knew that while he wasn't going to actually do anything, that just by watching he was giving Jack a silent, tacit agreement of approval.

Jack stood in front of Ivo with a hard expression, the vein in his temple throbbing angrily as he evenly asked, "Where is Agent Fitzgerald?"

Ivo smirked, rolled his eyes and looked away, not answering.

Reaching over and pressing his hand firmly into Ivo's gunshot wound, Jack asked again, "Where is Martin?" Ivo pinched his eyes tight against the pain and groaned loudly but still didn't reply. This time Jack pushed his index finger into the bullet hole and more vehemently growled, "I asked you a question, where is he?"

Ivo moaned and Jack pulled his hand away, waiting to see how Ivo would respond.

With all three agent's eyes on him, Ivo huffed out some stunted breaths to deal with the pain. Danny was certain that the man would begin talking when Ivo released a low laugh and rumbled, "Idi u pičku materinu!"

Jack gave Ivo a menacing look before stepping around his chair. When he was directly behind, Ivo, he paused, lowering his head. In this instant, Danny recognized that Jack was as conflicted about his actions he was. It occurred to Danny that Jack didn't like using this tactic, seeing it only as a last resort when he was so desperate to save a life and just talking wouldn't work.

As quickly as that look appeared on Jack's face, it vanished as he took a breath, squared his shoulders and slowly, evenly repeated his question, "Where is Martin?"

Ivo slowly raised his head and grinned manically at the three of them. "You think you can torture me? I lived in Bosnia during the holocaust. I survived unimaginable torture by Serbian soldiers. You Americans have nothing on them."

Furious, Jack jabbed the exit wound on Ivo's shoulder causing the man to cry out in anguish. "I'm just getting started."

This only encouraged Ivo to laugh harder.

Danny felt his hands tremble, wanting to do something. The problem was he wasn't sure if it was to stop Jack or join him. Because with each smile or laugh that Ivo offered up, he found himself wishing he was the one inflicting the pain. He found himself grateful that it was Jack doing this because he wasn't sure he could go through with it.

Before he had to make a decision, the door swung open and Draper appeared. Taking in the scene before him, Draper gave Jack a questioning look but instead of asking about it, he said, "I got a couple of the men to talk. They gave me the location of the arms deal Risto arranged." Jack nodded, unapologetic about what he was doing. "I have to leave right now if I want to make the arrests."

Danny's eyes flew to Ivo to see if this news would have any affect on him. Judging by the stunned look in Ivo's eyes, he was not expecting his men to cave so easily. This filled Danny with a strong sense of vindictive satisfaction.

Jack must have noted it as well because he looked instantly invigorated. He nodded at Draper and said, "Take Vivian and Elena with you just in case Martin is being held there."

Draper nodded, surveyed the scene one final time before exiting, slamming the door shut behind him.

Left alone once more, Jack slowly turned around to face Ivo. With a look of cool steel, Jack slowly stepped back over to stand in front of Ivo. Cracking his knuckles, Jack icily said, "As you may have guessed, you are going down." Ivo swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing slowly in his neck. "So I'm going to ask you one more time, what did you do to Martin?" He leaned in and lowly added, "If you tell me right now, we can end this."

Ivo worked his tongue into his cheek before replying, "See, this is the problem with you Americans. You are always rush, rush, rush." He smiled knowingly, as if he were offering sage wisdom to young children. "Torture takes time, patience."

Jack got into Ivo's face and grumbled, "I have all the time in the world." He smiled a humorless smile and added, "Your men have struck deals; their freedom in exchange for everything they know about you. It's time for you to think about saving yourself when you are still in a position to negotiate."

Shaking his head dismissively, Ivo replied, "They only know what I allow them to know."

"But Sanya knows a lot more, doesn't she?" Jack replied. Ivo's eyes flicked over to Claire, realization dawning on him on just how much she could divulge. "You see she's more than just an informant," he explained, grinning devilishly, "She's one of us." Ivo's eyes went wide, stunned. Still smiling, Jack finished, "Her name isn't Sanya Kovac. She's Special Agent Claire Roberts with the FBI."

Clenching his jaw, Ivo replied, "I always knew she was a whore."

"She certainly fucked you," Jack replied with a cold grin. "Not bad for us Americans, huh?"

Ivo laughed, a look of surrender crossing his face. "You Americans certainly do excel at deceit." His face went stoic and he added, "You know what else you excel at?" He paused for effect and finished, "You know how to take a beating."

Jack's jaw clenched. "Did Martin?"

Sighing heavily, Ivo replied, "I guess there's no harm telling you now since we all now what happens in this room isn't going to be admissible in court. God Bless America and its judicial system." He smiled evilly, his eyes moving between the three of them as if trying to gauge what sort of reaction his words were eliciting. "I began with Martin yesterday at the warehouse by the river." He gave Jack a knowing look. "You know the one, it's where you found Michelle."

Danny's body wound tight, fear pumping through this veins at where Ivo was leading. He found himself both wanting to force Ivo to shut up but equally compelled to make him keep talking.

Ivo licked his lip, tasting the blood still seeping out from the wound Claire inflicted on him earlier. "I will say this: he was able to endure a lot more than I initially thought…"

**XoX**

_As Ivo slowly walked into the warehouse, he could already hear the sounds of fists hitting flesh followed immediately by loud grunts of pain. Looking pleased, he walked to the area in the corner where two of his men had begun working on Martin. They were the same men from earlier, short and stocky and tall and bald. He watched as the bald one pinned Martin's hands behind his back while the stocky one hit him repeatedly in the face. Satisfied by their progress to his head, they dropped him to the floor where they took turns kicking him in the side, each blow eliciting a grunt of pain. _

"_Stop it," he ordered as he neared. The two men nodded, backing off. Taking advantage of the pause, Martin wiped the blood from his mouth as he propped himself up on his side. He defiantly met Ivo's eyes before turning and spitting onto the cement floor. Ivo frowned and said, "I apologize for my men. They aren't very skilled in extracting confessions."_

_Wincing at pain in his side, Martin managed to sit up and reply, "That's the problem when you hire them for their strength and not their brains."_

_Ivo laughed. "You're right. Maybe I should do more on-the-job training."_

_Ivo grabbed a chair and drug it slowly across the floor, making a slow screeching sound until he came to a stop directly in front of Martin. He smiled at seeing the worried look in Martin's eyes before ordering his men to pick up Martin and tie him to the chair. _

_As he suspected, Martin resisted, shoving and pulling against the men, managing to get one or two hits in the process only to be punched in the gut, toppling him over in pain. Finally, in the end, Martin was compliant, knowing there was no exit in sight. If there was one thing that Ivo knew, it was a tough façade when he saw one and Martin was no exception. _

_Once he was tied up, Martin struggled against the ropes, testing the straps before smiling up at Ivo as he said, "I guess I should be honored to be a part of your first lesson."_

"_You try and be funny but you don't fool me," Ivo commented, staring deep into Martin's eyes as if he could read his soul. "I can see your fear."_

_Martin sat there stoic but didn't bother trying to deny it either. Satisfied that he struck a nerve, Ivo reached for another chair and placed it in front of Martin's. He turned it around so he could straddle it, resting his arms over the back. Reaching into his breast pocket, Ivo grabbed a cigarette and lit up. He sat there smoking, inhaling and exhaling for a bit of time, trying to get a read on Martin before beginning. _

"_I am going to ask you some questions," he started before taking a long drag of his cigarette. As he blew out the smoke, he finished, " If I even suspect you are lying, I will break a finger. Do you understand?" Reflexively, Martin balled his hands into fists as if that would protect his digits. Ivo laughed, amused at the agent's feeble attempt at protecting himself. Shaking the ash from the tip of his cigarette onto the floor, he said, "I'll take that as a yes."_

_Martin worked his jaw and squared his shoulders, mentally preparing himself for what lay ahead. _

"_First question," Ivo began, waving the cigarette pinched between his fingers at Martin's hand. "This one is for your pinky so I'll make it easy, alright?" He tilted his head to meet Martin's eyes. "Does Sanya know you are reporting back to the FBI?"_

"_No hablo ingles," Martin replied with a smirk. _

_With no hesitation, Ivo nodded to the stocky one who simply walked up to Martin, uncurled his fist and bent his pinky all the way back, effectively snapping it. _

"_Augh," Martin cried out, grimacing against the pain before dropping his head, breathing heavily trying to cope._

"_Let's try this again now that you know I wasn't lying," Ivo said, between puffs of his cigarette. "Does Sanya know who you really are?"_

_Martin's head remained slumped forward, unresponsive. Not feeling particularly generous with his patience, Ivo wordlessly gestured to the bald one. _

_Walking up, he grabbed Martin's hair and pulled his head up, forcing him to look at Ivo. Martin tried to resist against the hold but it only resulted in the man's grip tightening. _

"_I asked you a question," Ivo evenly said, looking like he had all the time in the world. "I suggest you spare yourself here and just tell me the truth because I am going to get it out of you one way or another." He tapped his cigarette once more to rid himself of the ashes. "I want you to tell me how much Sanya knows."_

"_You really want to know?" Martin asked, sounding ready to surrender. Ivo nodded, waiting for his answer when Martin grinned and replied, "Hacele pone ungüento en mi erupción?"_

_With his patience thin, Ivo stared coldly at Martin, knowing that it was going to take time for Martin to break. Willing to give it time, he stood up, flicked his cigarette onto the floor and extinguished it with his foot. _

_Martin eyed him, uncertain what was going to happen next as Ivo stepped in front of him. _

"_Okay, Mr. Tough FBI man, how about we make it three more?" He motioned for his man to hold Martin in place. He reached down for Martin's hand, uncurling his fingers. Martin writhed, trying to resist but with one finger already broken it proved to be an impossible task. "One for not answering my question, one for wasting my time," he met Martin's eyes and finished, "and one for just pissing me off."_

_With his gaze never leaving Martin's face, Ivo snapped the three fingers one by one. Bones snapping and popping in rapid fire succession, punctuated by Martin's screams of pain until he finally succumbed to the agony of the beating and broken bones by passing out. _

_Satisfied for the time being, Ivo smiled at the damaged agent before yanking off the medallion around Martin's neck. Holding it up, he studied it carefully. He looked over at his agent and said, "We have a good Catholic boy here." He swung the medallion, wrapping it around his hand before looking down at Martin. "Too bad St. Michael isn't around to help you now." _

_Laughing, he turned and started walking to the door. Over his shoulder, he directed, "When he wakes up finish breaking the rest of his hand." He turned the doorknob and added, "Afterwards, move him to the ice box. I'll finish with him there."_

_The short stocky man glanced at Martin before asking, "Just the one hand?"_

"_Yes," Ivo replied, pausing in the doorway. "I'll need the other one to do later." _

**XoX**

Danny stared at Ivo with rage coursing through his veins so fast that his entire body was vibrating. He suddenly understood where the term bloodlust came from because he had never wanted to harm someone so violently in his entire life.

Jack clenched his fists so tight that his knuckles turned white and asked, "Why did you move him?"

Tilting his head noncommittally, Ivo replied, "Convenience more than anything else. I had business to do here and I didn't want to commute."

"We searched this place, he's not here," Sam tried to say with authority but the crack in her voice betraying her.

Ivo nodded. "Yes, well, after I broke his other hand he still refused to give me any answers so I got bored." He gave her a penetrating stare, gauging the effect of his words on her. "I will say this, he was much stronger than I thought he would be."

"We know what happened to Michelle…" Jack commented before trailing off, unable to say more than that. "Did you… Did you do the same with Martin?"

"Actually, Martin's fate is quite the opposite of Michelle and Dian's," Ivo replied, with an over exaggerated sympathy in his voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asked. When Ivo simply looked away, Jack grabbed him the shoulders, his hand pressing up against the wound and growled, "Where is he?"

"Stop it!"

Danny looked over to see Claire sitting up. She pressed her hand against the wall, using it for leverage to stand up. He rushed over to where she was and helped her to her feet. She gave him a small grateful smile before standing up on her own, her legs may have looked wobbly but her expression was determined, a real force to be reckoned with.

She reached up to touch her head, cringing when she felt the spot where Ivo had hit her. Dropping her hand, she looked at Jack and said, "This sort of stuff doesn't work on him." She looked at Ivo and said, "Isn't that right?"

"I don't need you to defend me," Ivo coldly replied.

"I'm not," Claire replied, shaking her head as she grabbed a nearby stool. She set it in front of Ivo and added, "I'm only speaking the truth."

"The truth from you? That's very funny," Ivo responded, giving her an un-amused smirk. "I always suspected that you were going to be bad news. I tried to warn Risto but he wouldn't listen."

She kept her gaze steady on Ivo and replied, "That's because he would rather pretend he was with me than admit he was with you."

Ivo stared daggers at her, looking as if he would kill her if he weren't cuffed. Danny glanced at Jack who lingered in the background, willing to let Claire's plan play out but ready to react at a moments notice if necessary. He held his breath, worried, but decided to follow his lead and stepped over to stand next to Sam. She glanced at him quickly before returning her attention to Claire and Ivo.

"You will talk, Ivo," Claire calmly said, her demeanor so steady that no one could have guessed that she had been in a fist fight with the man just a few minutes before.

Ivo slumped down in his chair, looking annoyed. "I think I preferred hearing you talk as Sanya. Your American accent is very crude – if that is your real accent."

"It is," she proudly replied.

"Well done. You had a very convincing accent," Ivo complimented.

"Thanks." She frowned, took a deep breath and shakily asked, "I need to know, is Martin dead?"

Ivo's eyebrow twitched and he replied, "Fuck you."

Leaning in close, Claire studied his face as her lips curved up into a small smile. "He's alive." Ivo's eyes flickered worriedly, confirming Claire's guess. Her grin expanded and she explained, "I can tell because Risto told me that your eyebrows always give you away."

Ivo's face grew dark, a look of betrayal in his face that Risto would confide in Sanya about him. He worked his tongue into his cheek before finally replying, "You're wasting time here." With his eyes moving between Claire, Jack, Sam and Danny he said, "Every second you waste trying to get me to talk is a second closer Martin is to death."

"Where did you take him?" Jack asked, moving in to hurt him again.

Claire held out her arm to stop him. "I told you, violence doesn't work on Ivo," she explained before tilting her head, her gaze focused on Ivo. "But I know how to hit him where it hurts."

Ivo laughed. "And what can you possibly do to hurt me?"

"I'm going to give you options," she replied, confident and assured that her plan was going to work. Ivo looked at her, intrigued, as did the team. "If you tell us where Martin is right now and we find him alive, you will only serve life." She moved in closer and evenly added, "But if you don't talk and Martin dies as a result, I can guarantee you will be dead, too. Because when you are convicted of killing a federal agent it is an automatic death sentence."

He smirked. "I don't care."

Claire ran her eyes over his face and smirked back. "I know _you_ don't but your sister, Nina, will." This got Ivo's attention. "I know you love your sister and wouldn't want her to suffer."

Ivo swallowed, indicating that a nerve had been surely struck, before growing serious once again. "I will make sure she is well provided for," he replied.

Claire nodded. "I'm sure you will as long as you are alive in prison." She narrowed her eyes at him and explained, "But if Martin dies, you will not be around to protect her anymore. You'll be gone, Risto will be gone, and she will be all alone taking care of that baby. Without you around to protect your investments, the FBI will tie up any and all funds connected to your organization. From arms deal to paper routes, every cent will be tied up in litigation for years and years, leaving Nina to fend for herself. And we both know she isn't as strong as you are."

Danny studied Ivo's face carefully, looking for any signs that Claire's words had chinked his seemingly invincible armor but he was unreadable.

"Save your sister," Jack said, crossing his arms as he came to stand beside Claire.

Ivo shook his head and argued, "You would never do that to Nina. She is innocent in all of this."

Claire locked eyes with Ivo. "If you kill the man I love, I will spend every minute of my life making sure that I hurt everyone you love, too." She possessed a look of contained fury as she added, "Do not underestimate me."

Ivo stared back at her long and hard, weighing his options. Danny wondered if Claire's ominous warning would be enough to persuade him.

"Medju voda," Ivo said at last.

Danny looked to Claire to translate as she stared at Ivo for a beat, panic rising up into her face. "Voda?"

Ivo nodded and Claire leapt up suddenly and dashed to the door shouting, "He's in the water!"

Watching her running away, he laughed and shouted at her retreating form, "Right outside this whole time! I wonder how long he can hold his breath?!"

Danny, Sam and Jack ran through the building right after her as they shouted to any agents nearby, "He's in the water! Search the water!"

They all rushed out, frantically searching for any signs of just where Martin might be. The pier ran the full length of the buildings and the docks were lined with crates, barrels, lobster cages and other fishing related paraphernalia. Along the water were a few fishing boats and Danny wondered how they could possibly locate Martin quickly enough.

His eyes scanned the area when he saw Sam and Claire run towards a nearby crane with a chain leading into the water. Sam was running at break neck speed when she halted suddenly at the edge, pointed out into the water and shouted, "He's there!"

Bolting over, Danny followed Sam's gaze and spotted the top of a cage protruding on the water's surface as waves of water brought it in and out of sight. Claire dived into the dark water while Sam and Jack hurried to the crane, boarding the control area to try and turn it on.

Danny made a mad dash for the edge and jumped in after Claire. The water was ice cold, stinging his skin like hundreds of ice cold needles.

Opening his eyes, he scanned the water for any sign of Claire or Martin. From above, the flashlights from the officers standing on the pier illuminated his way to an underwater cage. He saw Claire frantically pulling at the lock before reaching through the bars to grab at Martin. As he swam towards them, he realized that Ivo had wrapped tape over Martin's mouth and all around his head. He saw that Martin's arms were flailing as he struggled to breath, to get access to air above the water's surface. He wondered why Martin wasn't clinging to the bars to pull himself up when he remembered what Ivo had done earlier. His eyes flew to Martin's hands and saw that they were both so broken and swollen that they were rendered essentially useless.

When he reached the cage, Danny tried the padlock as well but saw that it was useless to waste time fiddling with it. He moved next to Claire and reached in to try and help her keep Martin's nose up above the water's surface to get air. It was made difficult by the thick bars not allowing his head to fit in between and the fact that the tide was rolling in, covering the top of the cage. Each wave rushed water into Martin's nose, making their efforts futile.

Seeing that Danny had a hold on Martin, Claire moved herself up above the water to get some air. He saw that the air bubbles coming from Martin's nose were slowing down and he knew that they were running out of time. Claire reappeared and needing air as well, knowing he would be useless to Martin if he couldn't breath either, Danny pushed himself upward and as soon as hit the surface he inhaled deeply, air rushing into his lungs.

In the distance he heard shouts and the sound of an engine roaring to life but he didn't stop to think about it, instead quickly submerging to get back to Martin and Claire.

Diving back below, Danny watched as Claire struggled to hold Martin's head up. Danny was able to move his hands under Martin's armpits, trying to hold him up. It was difficult to get a good grip, the icy water made his hands numb and difficult to bend. By the time he finally got a solid hold, Martin's body convulsed suddenly. When Danny looked at Martin's face, he saw his friend's eyes go wide with fear. Frantic, Danny shook Martin, mentally willing him to keep fighting when Martin blinked slowly before turning his head to look at Claire.

Shaking her head, refusing to surrender, Claire kept her hands on Martin's face, trying to tilt his nose up above the water but no luck. She pulled at the duct tape, around his face, trying to get access to his mouth but her hands were just as numb as Danny's and she couldn't get a good grip.

Martin's focused on Claire for a long beat before his body went limp and his eyes slipped shut.

Both Danny and Claire clutched Martin's body, shaking it furiously, hoping against hope that it would bring him back to life when the cage began to rise. They held onto Martin until he was above the water. They each let go of the bars when Martin was in the clear and rapidly swimming to shore as the crane moved the cage to the dock. As he swam, Danny spotted Jack manning the crane, a look of fierce determination on his face. When they reached the dock, several agents ran over and pulled them out of the water.

Dripping wet, they hurried to the cage where a lifeless Martin lay inside. Danny knew that they had to bust the lock in order to get Martin out when Sam ran up to the cage carrying a crowbar. Not wasting a second, she and another agent snapped the lock off and pulled the gate open.

"I need help!" Sam shouted, stepping into the cage. Danny raced in and together they pulled Martin out of the cage, laying him flat on the floor.

Claire instantly dropped to her knees, tugged the tape away from Martin's mouth and started to perform CPR. Danny kneeled down on the other side and took began doing compressions on Martin's chest. When he finished his count, Claire pinched Martin's nose and gave him mouth-to-mouth.

Martin still wasn't breathing so they repeated the steps again. And then again. The air surrounding them was quiet, everyone holding their own breaths until Martin drew one of his own.

In his peripheral vision, he saw Sam and Jack move closer, each looking equally worried when Jack shouted to anyone who could give him the answer he wanted, "Where are those goddamn EMTs?!"

"Come on, Martin, don't do this," Danny pleaded as started to perform another set of compressions, counting them out in his head. As Claire blew air into Martin's lungs, Danny prayed that they weren't too late. "Please God," he prayed when suddenly Martin's eyes flew open as he struggled for breath, water spurting from his mouth, grappling for air.

At seeing Martin revived, Danny felt the weight of the last few days pour out of his body in one big whoosh, all of the emotions he had been containing battled for attention so his only choice was to sit there feeling overcome with relief that they finally found his friend and he was alive.

There was a spattering of applause, everyone happy and relieved that Martin was going to pull through. Beside him, Martin coughed, trying to catch his breath as he choked out bits of water that still resided in his lungs.

Cradling Martin's head in her lap, Claire tenderly pressing her forehead to his as tears fell from her eyes. With her lips near Martin's temple she whispered, "I have you…just breath…I have you."

Danny sat there watching the scene when Sam crouched down next to him and laid a blanket over Martin. He noticed that her eyes were also filled with tears as she ran her eyes over Martin's broken form before landing on the intimate moment between Claire and Martin. She lowered her eyes and looked away, quickly standing up and stepping away. Danny followed her with his eyes as she grabbed another blanket and draped it over his shoulders. He gave her a grateful smile and watched as she simply nodded, glanced one final time at Martin before moving off to the side. She stood next to a crate, wrapped her arms around herself, and observed from a distance.

Martin coughed a few more times, drawing Danny's attention back. "You're okay, man," Danny reassured him. "Try and relax, the paramedics are coming."

With his breathing beginning to steady out, Martin finally opened his eyes and took in the scene around him. He was quiet, seemingly confused by the action surrounding him. Danny gently patted Martin on his shoulder, reassuring him he was safe.

Through stunted coughs and deep inhalations, Martin's gaze moved slowly between Claire and Danny before finally landing on Claire. With a scratchy voice, he met her eyes and said, "Please tell me it was you doing the mouth-to-mouth."

Claire laughed joyfully, pulled him close and murmured, "It was me," she planted a kiss in his hair and repeated, "It was me." Martin closed his eyes, comforted by Claire's soothing when she looked up at Danny with glistening eyes and added, "But everything else was a team effort."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
****A/N: Round of applause for Anmodo for the speedy beta turnaround and most importantly, for keeping me true to the 'voice' of the characters. Thank you! And thank all of you for your very, very kind reviews! They totally make my day brighter and cherish each one. Thank you, thank you! **


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

~*~*~*~

**January 22, 2009  
FBI Building, NYC**

The room was quiet as Danny finished talking; the only sound the soft click of the arms from the clock on the wall. He reached over and grabbed his glass of water, chugging the last of it down in a quick gulp. Setting his glass down, his eyes darted around the table, waiting for the inevitable questions by the committee intended to poke holes into his story.

It was Director Johnson who moved in first, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. He fixed his gaze on Danny and evenly asked, "And that's how it happened?"

Looking up, the memory of rescuing Martin still vivid and fresh in his mind, Danny met the Director's eyes. "Yes, sir."

The Director nodded, leaned back in his chair and shared a quick knowing glance with Van Doren and Olcyzk as if that were precisely the answer he expected.

"Very good," Special Agent Cole declared, his tight voice slicing through the soft quiet like a dentists drill. He straightened up a few sheets of paper before setting them aside and clicking his pen again. "Now I'd like to ask about…"

"Actually, I think we're done here," Director David Johnson interrupted, cutting the junior agent off mid-sentence. Cole sat up straight, looking ready to protest when the Director gave Cole a pointed look. Conceding, Cole sank back into his chair. Shifting his attention back to Danny, the Director gave him a small smile and said, "Thank you, agent Taylor. That will be all. You can leave now."

Effectively dismissed, Danny scooted his chair back and stood up. He glanced at the group of agents, giving them all a polite nod before heading to the door.

As Danny reached for the doorknob, Agent Cole looked over at him and said, "Please send in Agent Spade."

Danny shot him a perturbed look but nodded agreeably and exited the conference room. As he stepped out, he was deflated to see that Elena was gone when he spotted Sam down the hallway talking with Victor Fitzgerald. Victor seemed to be listening intently to whatever Sam was saying, a look of deep concentration on his face.

As he walked towards them, the memory of his first encounter with Victor after they had found Martin washed over him…

**~*~**

_Clutching Elena's hand tightly in his, Danny glanced around at the rest of the team as they sat in the waiting room. Viv was sitting quietly, observing the scene while Sam had her cell phone pressed to her as she checked up on her son. Leaning against the far wall, was Jack, looking pensive and concerned. It wasn't easy after so many adrenaline-fueled days to just sit and wait but at the same time, he was relieved that this was finally over and Martin was found alive. _

_After they rescued Martin, he was immediately transported to St. Anne's. Claire rode along with him, both for comfort and also because she needed to be checked out as well. Danny changed into dry clothes and he and the rest of the team headed for the hospital, leaving Draper and his team to clean up the mess. When they arrived, they learned that Claire was being treated in Triage while Martin had been moved into surgery. It seemed that Ivo's methods of extracting information didn't end at breaking Martin's fingers. The doctors thought considering the extent of Martin's injuries that it was best to sedate him as they repaired his hands as well as examined the fractures to his ribs and knees. _

_Using his free hand, Danny pulled the beanie off his head and shoved it into his jacket pocket. He ran his fingers through his hair in a futile attempt to comb it out when he heard a vaguely familiar voice that sounded like Paula Van Doren. _

"_Jack?"_

_Danny looked up and spotted Van Doren and Olcyzk striding directly towards them. As Danny stood up to meet them halfway, he noticed that Victor Fitzgerald and Martin's mother, Margaret, were walking directly behind them. There was also another distinguished looking couple walking alongside that he didn't recognize but judging by their intensely worried expressions, they had a very vested interest in what was going on. Before Danny could contemplate who they were, Victor moved ahead of everyone, headed directly towards Jack. _

"_How's my son?" Victor asked, his eyes worriedly scanning the faces of the entire team before landing back on Jack. _

"_He's still in the OR," Jack replied, his face tight with worry. _

_Martin's mother, Margaret stepped forward, looking ready to take the helm of this crisis involving her only child. A role she has taken on before when Martin had been shot. "Has anyone been out to update us on Martin's status?" _

"_Not yet but someone should be out here very soon," Danny replied, offering her a look of reassurance. A role he was familiar with as well. _

"_What about Claire?" asked the older man that had accompanied them._

"_And you are?" Jack inquired._

_Victor stepped back and gestured to the other couple. "These are Claire's parents – Professor Charles Roberts and Dr. Diane Roberts." Victor paused, as everyone acknowledged the couple before taking a deep breath and asking, "How is Claire?"_

"_She's fine. She's being treated in Triage," Jack replied, jerking his chin to the nurse's station. _

"_I'm sure she will be thrilled to see you," Van Doren said, gently placing her hand on Claire's mother's shoulder. "Let's go talk to the nurse." _

_Danny watched as Victor and Margaret shared a mutual look of sympathy with Claire's parents as Van Doren escorted the Roberts' to the nurses' station where a short, portly looking nurse nodded her head and guided them down the hall. _

_As soon as they were gone, everyone moved back to the waiting area. Sam and Viv each clicked off their cell phones and put them away, curious as to what Victor's arrival might shed light on. Danny sat back down next to Elena while Victor and Margaret sat down opposite him with Jack and Olcyzk taking a seat on either side of them. _

"_I didn't know you knew Claire's parents," Jack quietly said, sounding like he was trying to make casual conversation to draw everyone's focus away from their worries about Martin. _

"_I don't but I promised Martin," Victor began, pausing to swallow. "He asked me to fetch Claire's parents from Boston the moment this was all over. It was the one thing he asked me to do."_

"_It must have been hard for her family to go so long without being able to see her," Elena softly said. _

_Margaret nodded. "They missed her very much." _

"_That was part of the reason why Martin was trying so hard to get Claire out of this," Victor said as Margaret gently reached over and ran her hand over his back. "He knew how much she missed seeing her family. He even sent his cousin Allison to see her parents since she is going to school in Massachusetts."_

"_What do you mean?" Sam asked_

"_He wanted to give Claire a gift for Christmas so he had Allison take a camcorder and get some video of her family sending Claire some private messages," Victor explained, a small melancholy smile on his face. _

"_That might have been dangerous," Olcyzk commented._

"_Martin was very careful," Victor replied, defending Martin's actions. "He showed it to Claire once and then put it on a USB stick and hid it somewhere."_

_Danny looked over at Jack, sharing a knowing look. Jack reached into his jacket pocket and pulled the USB stick out of his pocket. "I guess I don't have to give this to Lucy now." He held it out for Victor. "We found this in Martin's apartment."_

_Victor took it, looking at it with a sad expression on his face. "Thank you. I will be sure to get it to Claire." He put the USB stick in his breast pocket when the doors to the OR slid open and a short, stout woman in scrubs emerged. _

"_Hello, I'm looking for the family of Martin Fitzgerald," she asked. _

"_That's us," Victor replied as he and Margaret abruptly stood up, fear evident in their eyes. "He's our son. How is he?"_

"_Hello, I'm Dr. Winchester," the doctor replied, stepping closer. "We still have a lot more to do but the good news is it doesn't look like there is any permanent nerve damage to his hands…" The doctor went on to explain that while many of the bones in Martin's hands had been broken, they were confident that once they were reset they would heal and with some physical therapy, Martin would regain full mobility of his hands. He had bruised ribs, small burns, and several contusions, but while he would be sore for the next few days, they should all heal over time._

_Victor placed both his hands on Margaret's shoulders and asked, "So he's going to be alright?"_

"_He's going to be fine," the doctor replied with confidence. "I'll come out and update you again as soon as I can."_

"_Thank you," Margaret said as Dr. Winchester walked back through the OR doors. _

_As soon as the doctor was gone, Margaret turned to look at Victor and said, "I'm going to call Jamie and let everyone know what's going on." She reached down and squeezed his hand before stepping away._

"_I should head back to the bureau office and check on things," Olcyzk said to Victor, relief evident on his face. _

_Victor squared his shoulders and nodded, no longer the emotional father but the consummate Deputy Director. "Thank you. I want that man put away for a long time---so no mistakes."_

"_Of course, sir," Olcyzk replied before leaving. _

_Victor kept his gaze trained on Olcyzk before turning and taking his seat in the waiting area once again._

_Everyone went quiet again; each lost in their own thoughts. Vivian sat back on her chair, her elbow propped up on the arm of her chair and her thumb delicately rubbing over her lips as she stared off into the distance. Jack leaned forward, his head bowed and his legs spread with his elbows propped up on his knees. Sam sat straight up, wringing her hands as her eyes were focused on a CPR chart posted on a far wall. _

_Reaching over and taking a hold of Danny's hand, Elena gave it a gentle squeeze as she announced, "How about I go get everyone some coffee?" _

"_Sounds good," Sam said, standing up and pulling her wallet out of her jacket pocket. "I'll go with you."_

"_Me, too," Vivian said, standing up and smoothing out imaginary wrinkles on her pants. "I need to find the ladies room anyway."_

"_Be right back," Elena said, giving Danny's hand one more squeeze before letting go as she and Sam headed down the hall to the vending machines. _

_As soon as the women were gone, silence fell heavy again when Victor sat up straight, his expression stoic and pensive as he said, "I want to thank you both for all your hard work in finding Martin." _

_Raising his head, Jack laughed softly. "You know, I kept waiting for you to turn up."_

_Releasing a soft chuckle, Victor replied, "I promised Martin I would keep my distance. He was afraid that I would compromise the investigation by worrying more about his safety than keeping what he was doing under wraps." He folded his arms and shook his head. "I'm sure he was right. When I found out he was missing it took about all I had to not tell everyone what was really going on so I could use all means necessary to find him." He bit his lip and added, "When it comes to Martin I'm not exactly objective." _

_Jack nodded his head knowingly. "No parent ever is."_

_Sharing a smile, Victor continued, "It wasn't easy for me but my son has a lot of faith in all of you. He trusted that you would be the ones to end this."_

_Smiling, Danny nodded. "Yeah, well, we have a lot of faith in him, too."_

**~*~**

Clearing his throat as he approached, Danny smiled as they both turned to look at him.

"Director," Danny greeted, extending his hand. As the two men shook hands he said, "I didn't expect to see you here today… but I guess considering the stakes, I shouldn't be."

Releasing his grip, Victor actually offered up a self-deprecating smile as he replied, "Martin's doing well so I figured I'm allowed to meddle again. I just want to make sure everything is wrapped up and my son's name is in the clear."

Sam nodded her head agreeably before looking at Danny and saying, "Elena wants you to call her."

"Where is she?"

"We landed a case." Sam must have noticed that Danny's interest was piqued, wanting to get to work when she shook her head and added, "It was a teenager and she and Viv already found him on his way to see his girlfriend in Baltimore. They're taking him home right now."

"I like cases that are quick with happy endings," Danny replied when he remembered the message he was supposed to relay. Thumbing toward the conference room door, he said, "You're up next by the way."

Nodding, Samantha took a step back and gave Victor a slight nod. "Please excuse me; it was good to see you again."

"You as well," Victor replied as she turned and walked to the conference room. As soon as she entered, Victor shifted his attention to Danny and said, "How did it go in there? I'd like to be able to tell Martin that this part is officially over."

Tilting his head thoughtfully, Danny replied, "I can't say for certain but judging by my own interview I don't think you or Martin has much to worry about."

"Good," Victor said, looking relieved as he nodded his head. "What are you up to now?"

"Well, since we don't have an active case I thought I would head over to the hospital and see Martin," Danny cheerfully replied, pleased that in this visit the weight of all that had transpired may finally be put to rest. Meeting Victor's eyes, he asked, "Have you had a chance to see him today?"

Victor nodded. "He's getting stronger and is almost fully lucid today." Over the last few days, Martin was still being heavily drugged to combat the pain. His physicians were careful to monitor his doses and control all aspects of his medication considering his history with narcotics addiction. "I'm sure he'll be very happy to see you. I think between his mother and Claire, he'd welcome a visitor with a 'Y' chromosome besides me."

Danny smiled and replied, "I'm off then."

He shook hands with Victor again, bid the older man goodbye and started for the elevator. A short while later, he emerged from another elevator at St. Anne's hospital.

The nurses at the station waved hello, knowing his face from his numerous visits over the last few days. Unlike the first time Martin was in the hospital, Danny made sure he stopped to check up on his friend as much as possible.

Knocking on the door as he pushed it open, Danny entered Martin's room. Inside, Martin looked over at him, giving him a sheepish smile.

"Hey," Danny greeted him.

Slowly, he shifted to a sitting position. "Hey yourself," Martin replied, looking banged up, but much better. Both of his hands were wrapped up in gauze with his fingers in splints. Parts of his face were still swollen and bruised, but he looked remarkably better than he had the day before.

Eyeing the raw, exposed skin on the tips of some of Martin's fingers, the sight of which still made Danny cringe, he asked, "Where is everyone? I didn't think Claire or your mom would let you out of their sight."

Giving him a small smile, Martin replied, "My mom's back at the hotel taking a nap and Claire went to get me something to eat. I'm sick of hospital food."

Danny glanced over at the plastic tray on the counter. On a plate sat some sort of meat drowning under brown gravy. He smiled. "Wow, we've finally found food Martin Fitzgerald won't eat."

Martin chuckled softly, instantly wincing at the pain it elicited in his side. Drawing a breath, he asked, "How did it go today?"

Danny pulled over a plastic chair alongside Martin's bed, pleased that Victor was right at how lucid Martin was today. "About as expected but I think this should all be wrapped up today." He gestured to Martin's hands. "What about you?"

Martin held up his bandage-wrapped hands and the many finger splints, he shrugged. "Other than feeling like _Edward Scissorhands_, I'm just happy that this is over." The two men shared a look of understanding when Martin guiltily said, "Look man, I wanted to tell you I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you what was going on."

Danny gave him a hard look. "I'm not going to lie; I was pissed that you didn't tell me." Licking his lips and shaking his head, he continued, "After all that happened with Jack…and all we've been though together…I couldn't understand why you didn't tell me." He locked eyes with Martin and finished, "That was until I found out just how messed up the whole thing with Claire was." Martin nodded his head, seemingly relieved that Danny understood. "I just hope that this is the end of this. I want our team to feel like a team again. No more hidden agendas or secrets."

"You don't have to worry about me," Martin replied, tilting his head back so it rested on the pillow. "I'm done with secrets."

Sitting back on his chair, Danny took a breath and looked directly at Martin. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything," Martin replied, rolling his head so he could face Danny.

"They wouldn't let us read your report yet," Danny replied, pausing to lick his lips. "Can you tell me what happened? How did Ivo get the drop on you?"

Furrowing his brow, Martin said, "I thought you were there when Jack and Draper got all the details during the confession from Ivo?"

Shrugging, Danny replied, "I want to hear it from you."

Martin looked away, an anguished expression on his face. Danny considered telling him to never mind when Martin started talking softly. "It happened pretty damn fast." He stared on a landscape painting hanging on the far wall as he spoke. "I had just left Claire at Jamaica Bay and was on my way home when two of Ivo's black SUVs drove me off the road. Three armed guys got out and motioned for me to get out of my car." He turned to face Danny and said, "I knew I couldn't fight them off myself and I didn't have my gun – I had to surrender my service weapon earlier."

"Sam said you had your own weapon," Danny replied, confused. "When we checked your safe at home, it was gone."

"I had given it to Claire to keep in her car," Martin replied. "I was worried that she wouldn't have a weapon if Risto or Ivo turned on her." He smiled lamely and added, "I wasn't thinking about what would happen if I didn't have mine."

"Then what?"

"Marco – one of Ivo's guys – pulled me out of my Jeep and told me that Risto and Ivo wanted to have a conversation."

"We found your car at the airport," Danny commented.

Martin shifted on his bed, not an easy task considering his injuries. "They had another guy get in my Jeep and drive it. I guess they wanted you to think that I pulled a runner."

"It almost worked." Danny nodded in agreement. "What happened next?"

"They put a bag over my head and shoved me in one of the SUVs. When they finally stopped and removed it, I realized that they took me to a warehouse. There was only one guy in the room with me so I took a chance and tried to take him down. I almost had him when two more guys showed up. Suffice it to say, I got the ass kicking of my life." Suddenly an image of the scene Ivo referred to earlier appeared in Danny's mind. Shaking his head, he inhaled deeply and continued, "Ivo came in and put a stop to it but that's just because it interfered with his own plans…" Martin's eyes flew to his hand, a flash of pain crossing his face.

Leaning forward, Danny asked, "Is that why Ivo put you in the cage instead of…?"

"Instead of killing me?" Martin asked, eyebrow cocked. Danny nodded. Taking a breath, Martin said, "I don't think he was ready to kill me – at least not right away. He was so angry that I didn't tell him what he wanted to hear that I think it was just another version of torture…"

**~*~**

_Martin had never felt this level of pain and exhaustion. Inhaling a shaky breath that made his chest contract in pain, he could feel his body aching to surrender and slip out of consciousness. His hands were throbbing in agony, nine of his ten fingers were broken and his body was bruised and battered from multiple hits and kicks. Just as his eyelids began slipping shut, suddenly he was doused with a bucket of cold water poured over his head, the icy chill rousing him wide-awake._

_The sting of the icy water reignited the pain causing all of his senses to come alive. His eyes flew open and he lifted his head up to find Ivo standing in front of him, smoking another one of his cigarettes._

"_We can't have you falling asleep, we're not done yet," Ivo unceremoniously said before smiling at his men. "What is it they say to cope with aches and pains? First ice and then heat?" Nodding to himself, Ivo reached over and extinguishing his cigarette on Martin's forearm, eliciting an anguished grunt in response. "There, we are ready to begin again."_

_Red hot pain danced across Martin's eyes and all he could focus on was trying to cope. When the pain finally began to ebb away, he rolled his head up and focused his attention on Ivo. Despite his body screaming for some relief, he forced himself to keep his face stoic and hard in an effort to show Ivo he wasn't winning. Despite his broken, bruised and burned body declaring the opposite._

"_You are stronger than I gave you credit," Ivo commented_

"_I aim to impress," Martin deadpanned. _

"_So let me ask you – again," Ivo began, methodically pacing the floor in front of Martin as he pulled out another cigarette and lit up. "When the FBI agents were interrogating you, what did you tell them about Risto's business?"_

_Martin could feel blood pooling at the corner of his mouth. Licking it away, he feigned a smile at Ivo and replied, "I think you need to have your hearing checked. I've already told you…" before he could finish, Ivo wordlessly grabbed Martin's tenth finger and snapped it back. White-hot pain flashed up Martin's arm. "AUGH!"_

"_That was your last good finger, Agent Fitzgerald," Ivo commented, leaning in close and seething into Martin's ear, his hot, smoky breath assaulting Martin's nostrils. "You do not want to know what I will start breaking off next," he seethed, punching Martin in the groin. _

"_Augh," Martin rumbled before starting to cough. He took deep breaths, quick inhalations through his flaring nostrils. He tried to use his breathing to steady himself out. He could taste blood in his mouth, so he spit it out, carefully aiming for Ivo's shoes._

_Ivo was quick to try and dodge the spittle but not fast enough, some blood still managed to hit his Italian loafers. He shot Martin a dirty look before picking up a nearby towel. As he wiped his hands he shook his head and muttered, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I had hoped we would be further along by now but I can see you aren't going to break easily." He tossed the towel to the counter and said, "That's alright, I am a patient man." _

_He turned and locked eyes with Martin. "I think maybe you need to take a dip." _

_Martin felt his heart stop, wondering what the cryptic phrase meant when Ivo started out the door and motioned for his two men. "Our friend is stinking up my fish, take him to the cage for a bath."_

_The men nodded and walked directly to Martin. He tried struggling against their grip but his body was tired of fighting and he found it futile. They lead him to the rear of the warehouse and when he glanced around he didn't see any signs of activity considering it was the middle of a day. His heart fell when he realized that they were isolated and alone, no hope of rescue anywhere in sight. He didn't know if it was the exhaustion or the despair, but his knees suddenly buckled and he collapsed to the ground. Undeterred, the men just tightened their grip and dragged him to a metal cage that looked like the sort divers use for diving into shark-infested waters. They shoved him inside where he immediately crumbled onto the floor. _

_Almost relieved for the reprieve from Ivo, Martin's eyes slipped shut as he rolled onto his back. Moments later the cage began to move and shake. Opening his eyes, wondering what fresh hell awaited him, he opened his eyes to see that the cage was being raised up by a large crane and moved directly over the water. As he was lowered into the water and he immediately struggled to a standing position as the ice cold water flooded the cage. Any aura of calm he was trying to emit faded rapidly as panic began to set in at the thought of being submerged underwater in a locked cage. He tried to grab the bars but knew it was useless, his hands too far gone to be of much use. The water rose up, past his knees, his thighs, his waist, his chest and then the cage jostled/yanked to a stop. The water lapped around his shoulders. He thought about screaming but there was no one in range to hear him – except Ivo's thugs. _

_So there he waited, praying for the team to find him as the freezing water rose slowly higher and higher. _

**~*~**

"I didn't even know you guys had arrived until I saw Claire swimming towards me but by then…" Martin trailed off, the words lodged in his throat. He blew out a breath and looked back at Danny as he said, "Well you know the rest."

"I still can't believe…" Danny paused, his tongue searching out the right words. He didn't want to make Martin feel worse than he was already feeling, so he shook his head and smiled, releasing a light chuckle as he finished, "I can't believe we didn't suspect anything." He reached over and playfully hit Martin's leg. "You totally had us fooled, man."

Martin nodded, a relieved smile on his face looking grateful for the levity. "If it helps, I had to work very hard at keeping it a secret." He shifted again, slumping lower against his pillows. "I wanted to tell you all the time. Which is why I had to skip out on our post meeting dinners so often. Those meetings are like going to confession when I was a kid – making me want to spill my guts." Danny chuckled knowingly when he saw Martin's eyes drift over to a woman's sweater hanging on the coat rack mounted on the wall. "It was especially hard because of Claire. You and Elena kept trying to set me up and I was running out of excuses."

Danny laughed. "Using an acronym of her name to list all the women you were 'dating' was pretty clever."

Furrowing his brow, Martin stared back at Danny perplexed. "How did you know…?"

"You told me." Danny replied, chuckling as he relaxed into the conversation. "Let's just say that those first 48 hours after your surgery you fluctuated between drowsy and chatty." Leaning back onto his chair and propping his feet on the metal edge of Martin's bed, Danny added, "You told me about the acronym for Claire's name… and that you loved me."

Martin blanched. "I did not."

"Don't be ashamed, I'm hard to resist," Danny replied with a smirk. "Just be happy that Claire wasn't around when you said it. You might've made her jealous. Of course, it did make your mom laugh." Martin shook his head, embarrassed, and laughed softly. Danny rested his elbow on the arm of the chair and propped the side of his hand on the palm of his hand. "For what it's worth, I like Claire… a lot."

At hearing her name, a wide smile spread over Martin's face. "It's hard not too. I think she's pretty incredible."

"She'd have to be for you to risk so much for her."

Raising his head, Martin said, "I didn't do anything you wouldn't be willing to do for Elena."

Danny gave a nod of agreement. "That's actually what made me understand. After meeting Claire…not Sanya, but the real Claire, she explained how your relationship…evolved and I got it." He watched as Martin's expression changed at the mere discussion of Claire and he added, "I can see that you care about her very much. I get that."

Martin nodded wistfully. "It still feels surreal. After I started meeting with her about the investigation…it happened so fast."

"Well, you had a history so that changes the ordinary dynamics of any relationship," Danny said, thinking back to how in his case, his past with Elena was actually an obstacle for them but right now the conversation was about Martin and Claire.

Licking his lips, Martin carefully replied, "When I met her, I thought she was amazing – but off limits…"

"Because she was married," Danny finished, recalling his conversation with Claire about how she and Martin had worked together in Seattle.

Nodding, Martin continued, "So I was resigned to just being her friend." With a queasy smile, he added, "Something I end up doing more than I like." Sharing a frown with Danny, he shook it off and shrugged. "But this time when we met up again, everything was different…"

**~*~*~**

_Sitting behind the steering wheel of his Jeep, Martin took a long drink of his coffee. After placing it back into the cup holder, he stared out onto the water, brightly illuminated under the full moon. He loved fall nights like this when the air was crisp and cool enough to warrant wearing a jacket but warm enough to linger outside if anyone wanted._

_He glanced at the clock on his dashboard that read 3:24 a.m. She was late. He knew that with her working undercover, she couldn't guarantee that she would always be able to meet him but it was times like these that his gut twisted tight with worry. Needing a distraction, he clicked on the radio but didn't care for the song that was playing. He pressed the 'scan' button and listened idly as it surfed through the channels for something he liked. So far there was nothing he wanted to listen to so he sighed heavily and slumped down into the passenger seat when he noticed a pair of high beams driving down the road to the parking lot. _

_He smiled to himself, his heart racing excitedly like it always did lately when he knew he was going to see Claire. _

_Her BMW pulled in alongside him and she stepped out, sending a bright smile his way as she walked up to his Jeep. He still found it disconcerting to see her as 'Sanya' dressed in a halter-top, skinny jeans and high heel boots accentuated with large gold hoop earrings and several gold chains. The woman he remembered wore loose fitting dress pants, flats, and comfy but professional blouses. _

_He reached over and pulled the door handle, giving the door a gentle shove to open it for her. "I was about to give up on you," he said as she slid into the passenger seat. _

"_Sorry," she replied, shutting the door. "It took me three tries to balance the night's receipts. It's hard enough working undercover much less actually having to manage a business." She blew out a breath and leaned back in her seat. "Seriously, it's exhausting."_

"_Here, this might perk you up," he said, handing her the coffee he picked up for her. _

"_Thanks," she mumbled, bringing the cup to her lips and taking a long, savoring drink. Lowering her cup she looked over at the illuminated panel for the radio and asked, "How was your day?" _

_Touched that she always managed to ask him about his day no matter how hard her own was, he replied, "It was fine, thanks." _

_The radio continued scanning when it landed on a retro station playing a sappy love song that conjured up an image of a mullet having singer in Martin's mind. Claire reached down and pressed the select button, exclaiming, "I have not heard this song in years."_

"_Maybe because it's a crappy slow ballad?" Martin teased, cringing inwardly at having to listen to it now. But he also knew that he'd gladly listen to this music all day if it made her happy._

"_Shut up," she replied, rolling her eyes at him. As the piano intro played, Claire sat back with a nostalgic smile on her face. "This song was 'the' slow jam when I was a senior in high school." She shifted in her seat so she was facing him, pulling one leg up and bending it underneath her. She leaned into her seat, smiling at him as she talked. "I remember it playing at my senior prom." _

_Liking hearing more about Claire's personal life, Martin asked, "Let me guess: your prom date was your popular quarterback boyfriend." _

"_Actually, he was the fullback," she replied with a grin. "And he wasn't my boyfriend. It was sort of a blind date thing."_

"_You went on a blind date to your prom?"_

_She shrugged. "My friend Shannon felt sorry for me so she set me up with Jeff who was a friend of her boyfriend."_

"_I find it hard to believe you needed to be set up. I pictured you as the popular cheerleader with a line of boys asking you for a date."_

"_Not even close," she replied, smiling at his look of surprise. "Contrary to popular belief, middle children of a physics professor and a forensic anthropologist are seldom considered one of the cool kids." He laughed lightly and she continued, "I was that egg head who preferred French club and student senate to pom-poms and pep rallies." _

_Reaching over and grabbing his own coffee, Martin asked, "Did you at least have fun at your prom?"_

_Nodding, Claire explained, "It was exciting getting dressed up and riding in the limo but the guys were more concerned with partying than being entertaining dates. Jeff ended up getting drunk and puking in the bathroom." She gave him a syrupy, sweet expression as she sarcastically mocked, "It was so romantic." _

_He stared at her for a long beat when he reached into his console and grabbed a pen and pad. "What was his last name? I'm going to look him up and give him a piece of mind…"_

_Laughing, she swiped the pen from his hand. "I appreciate the offer but I've moved on thank you very much." She tossed the pen onto his dashboard and continued, "Besides, I ended up ditching him. Some of my fellow nerds who couldn't find dates planned on going to a midnight showing of 'Bladerunner' so I met up with them and actually had a really good time." _

"_I bet you were the prettiest girl in the movie theatre," Martin commented, knowing that he was looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. When he saw her he didn't see Sanya under all the heavy make-up and trashy clothes. He saw Claire: the woman who ate cheeseburgers, quoted science fiction films, and spoke multiple languages. The woman who lost a husband, risked her life in Iraq, and had a generous heart. _

_Taking another sip of her coffee, she replied, "Well, I was definitely the most dressed up." _

_**~*~**_

_If I see you next to never  
How can we say forever?_

_**~*~**_

"_Were you disappointed?" he asked, taking a drink of his coffee and setting it back in the cup holder._

"_Only that I never got that dance floor moment," she wistfully, titling her head side to side as she stared out at the water. "You know, that moment when you get to slow dance with a cute boy that you really like under the glimmering lights."_

_Martin nodded when an idea occurred to him. He rolled down his window, grinned at her and said, "Get out."_

"_What?" she asked, baffled. _

"_You heard me, get out of the car," Martin ordered again as he reached over and turned up the radio's volume, switched on his headlights and opened his own door to exit the Jeep. _

_As he stepped around to the front of the Jeep, he waited and watched as she got out and closed the door, her eyes studying him warily. _

_When she moved closer, he gave her a shy smile as he held out his hand and asked, "May I have this dance?"_

_She lowered her head, as if embarrassed by his offer. "I don't know…" she looked up, hesitation evident on her face. "I'm a terrible dancer. I might step on your feet…"_

"_I'll take my chances," he replied, waving her over insistent. "C'mere." _

_She shook her head slowly, as if declining but still slowly stepped towards him, raising her head and holding out her hand. Taking her hand in his, he gently pulled her towards him as the music from his car stereo filled the air._

_**~*~**_

_Wherever you go  
Whatever you do  
__I will be right here waiting for you__._

_**~*~ **_

_As they swayed to the music he leaned his mouth close to her ear and breathed, "So far, so good."_

"_Yeah," she replied sounding choked up as she nodded her head against his shoulder._

_Pulling his head back so he could look at her, he asked, "What's wrong?"_

_Doing her best to avoid his gaze, she shook her head. "It's nothing, it's stupid." He stopped dancing, wanting her to tell him. In her silhouetted profile against the headlights to the Jeep, he saw her take a deep breath before finally looking up at him. "It's just … recently, I was starting to forget what being 'me' felt like. But lately, getting to see you it's…" she trailed off, her eyes glistening with tears threatening to spill. She took another deep breath and quickly said, "It's just I like being myself… my real self, with you, that's all."_

_He stared down at her, in awe of how beautiful she looked in the shadows of the moon and lights from the car and replied, "I like being with the real you, too." _

_Their eyes locked, the moment filled with tenderness and open emotion that without any hesitation he leaned in and kissed her. _

_**~*~**_

_I wonder how we can survive  
This romance  
But in the end if I'm with you  
I'll take the chance_

_**~*~**_

**~*~*~**

"I guess you know what happened after that," Martin replied, smiling.

Danny nodded when a now very familiar woman's voice asked, "After what?"

They both looked over to see Claire enter the room carrying several bags. She smiled widely at the two of them. It still caught Danny off guard to see her dressed as herself – not Sanya. Gone were the stilettos, cleavage, and gold jewelry replaced with blue jeans, black boots, dark green v-neck sweater and charcoal gray coat with a cream colored scarf. Her hair, once over styled and straight, hung in soft, loose wavy curls and instead of heavy make-up, her face was fresh and natural with no more than a little mascara and chapstick. Her face only marred by the bruises around her eye and cheek from her fight with Ivo.

Martin beamed at the sight of her. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," she replied, setting the bags down on a nearby counter. With a large grin on her face, she stepped over and gave Martin a small kiss and gently ran her hand through his hair. Looking over at Danny, she greeted, "Hola, Danny."

"Hola," he replied, warmed by the sight of Martin and Claire finally being able to be openly affectionate.

"What did you get me?" Martin asked, peering over her shoulder at the bags.

"I got you the magazines you wanted and some take-out from Tacos Matamoros," she replied, sitting on the edge of his bed and reaching over to brush some hair away from his face.

Grinning, Martin quipped, "Excellente."

Claire and Danny shared an amused look at hearing Martin's lame Spanish accent when she said, "Oh, I have something for you, too, in case you stopped by." She hopped off of Martin's bed and grabbed one of her bags. It was a small white bag with no label on the outside. She held it out for Danny and smiled. "I got you a little something."

Taken aback, Danny glanced at the bag and asked, "Really? For me? Why?"

She shrugged. "Just a very small token of some well deserved thanks," she replied, sitting back down on the edge of the bed next to Martin. "I was walking by a shop window and thought of you."

He opened the bag and looked inside, a smile spreading across his face. "Ah, you shouldn't have." He reached in and pulled out the confection, holding it up as his grin widened. "A donut just for me."

End _A Treasonous Heart_

Epilogue To Follow

FYI: The song referenced is "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx.


	30. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**~*~*~*~**

November 28, 2009  
St. Michael's Church

Danny stood in front of the small, round mirror hanging on the inside of the closet adjusting his tie. Satisfied that it was even, he tugged on the cuffs of his tuxedo and stepped back, studying his reflection.

"I have to admit, I look damn good in a tux," he announced out loud. He heard a snort of laughter and glanced at Martin over his shoulder, seeing him standing next to a rickety bookshelf flipping through a missal and shaking his head. "What? I do." He returned his attention to his mirrored image and quietly added, "Don't worry, you look pretty good, too."

"Gee, thanks," Martin deadpanned. Dropping the missal back on the shelf, he cocked an eyebrow and asked, "I forget, who's supposed to look better: the best man or the groom?"

Grinning, Danny gave him a cocky shrug. "Let's not argue and just agree we're the best looking men at this wedding."

Releasing a light laugh, Martin quipped, "Fair enough."

Shutting the closet door, Danny looked around the small room where they were sequestered at the back of the church. It seems St. Michael's decided that while the women merited the large dressing room with floor length mirrors, private bathroom and small sofas, the men garnered a musty smelling storage room filled with dusty, broken pews and aged props from Nativity plays of years past.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, anxious for the ceremony to be underway, Danny wandered over to the window and glanced outside. It was an unusually warm fall day in New York City. Down below, he saw Jack talking to Vivian and Marcus. Jack was wearing a slightly fancier version of his usual black attire while Marcus was dressed in a dark grey suit with a navy blue tie that complimented Viv's sapphire colored dress. Nearby stood, Jack's dates. Jack had managed to convince two young, attractive brunettes to accompany him to the wedding of one of his junior agents. With a proud smile on his face, Danny watched Hannah, who was dressed in a burgundy silk dress, busily texting on her cellphone while idly listening to something Kate, dressed in emerald green, was telling her. He still found it hard to believe that those two beautiful young women were the same girls he used to give piggy back rides to when they came to see their father at the office.

Standing alongside the cast iron fence, he spotted Brian, also dressed in a dark suit, cradling David on his hip as Lucy coo'ed at the giggling toddler. Mac and Olzyck were also there, laughing with their significant others. He smiled at the sight of Sofie, spinning around on a nearby patch of grass, proudly twirling her flower girl dress in front of Sylvia and Rafi. He released a light chuckle as his nephew, Nick, walked up to Rafi with a grumpy expression, fidgeting with the collar of his shirt. He was certain that his nephew was complaining, having preferred to be wearing a t-shirt and jeans. However, for all of Rafi's troubled history, Danny knew his brother still possessed that Cuban pride and insisted on the entire family dressing their best for formal occasions.

The only ones visibly absent were Elena, Claire and Sam as they were busily getting prepared for the ceremony, checking their hair, make-up and dresses.

Sighing, Danny stepped away from the window and looked over at Martin who was fidgeting in his suit, pacing the small length of floor in the crowded room. Danny chuckled softly as he couldn't help but feel grateful and somewhat amazed by how far the two of them had come during the course of so many upheavals and changes over the last few years.

**~*~**

_March 2009_

"_...I was locked out so I decided I should just break the back window and get in that way. But breaking a window isn't easy when you're drunk," Julie explained, releasing a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. She was a young, thin impish-looking girl with stringy blonde hair who looked like a stiff wind would blow her over. She held up her arm, exposing a large scar under her bicep. "I got this as a result." She ran her fingers over the bright pink, raised tissue. "I don't remember much after that because I passed out—maybe from the pain or maybe just because I was so wasted…" _

_Danny lowered his head knowingly. This was always a tough part of the meetings, seeing someone new enter the fold of AA or NA, their pain and addiction still so raw and fresh. Their ache and desperation was almost palpable. For Danny, it both reminded him how far he'd come as well as how easily he could still be traveling down that path. As painful as these people's stories were to hear, they also reminded him how grateful he should be for the blessings in his life now._

_As Julie finished talking, there was a scattering of applause. While Julie walked back to her chair, the meeting's leader, Travis, walked back to the front of the room and asked, "We have time for one more. Is there anyone here feeling the compulsion to share?" He shifted his attention to where they were sitting and said, "Martin, we haven't heard from you in awhile, feel like giving it a shot?"_

_Danny sat back on his metal folding chair and glanced around when Martin stood up. As the group clapped encouragingly, he watched as his friend walked up to the front of the room, sharing a quick nod with Travis before turning to face the room. _

"_Hi, I'm Martin," he greeted the room. _

"_Hi, Martin," everyone responded. _

_Running his hand over his chin, Danny stared back at Martin, listening carefully. He knew that sharing was Martin's least favorite thing to do, his upbringing having trained him that emotions and pain were to be suppressed and concealed from others. But he also knew that in the months following his time in the hospital he struggled against his addiction once more. While the doctor's were careful to monitor his meds knowing his history with narcotics addiction, he found that once he left that the cravings returned with a vengeance. _

"_I'll be clean three years…at the end of this month actually," Martin announced, looking surprised and in awe at himself. There was a large clamor of applause. As it grew quiet again, Martin continued, "I still think about them everyday—some days more than others." Many members nodded, relating. "A few months ago I got hurt…" Martin paused and Danny knew he was trying to avoid spilling the details about the case. Licking his lips, he pressed on, "I had to spend time in the hospital and that meant drugs to deal with the pain. The doctor's were very careful, they knew my history—my friends and family made sure of that--" There were knowing murmurs shared in the room. "But I'm not going to lie, it felt pretty good." A flash of shame crossed his face as he added, "But at the same time, I felt disgusted with myself because I liked it." He looked up and scanned the room. "It was the first time since those first few months when I had quit where I found myself facing those dark feelings again. And it made me feel just as shitty."_

_Pausing, Martin hunched his shoulders and continued, "But as much as I wanted more, I was able to resist." He shook his head and bit his lip, overcome by the memory. "I didn't want to go back to how I was when I was using. Not being able to meet people's eyes or even look at my own reflection in the bathroom mirror. Lying to my friends that I was okay. Lying to myself." Squaring his shoulders, he said, "And thanks to these meetings," he fixed his eyes on Danny, "my friends, my family, and…" he smiled sheepishly, "the love of a really good woman, I know I don't want to fall back into my old ways. I can't and I pray everyday that I won't." Some of the members murmured understandingly, each of them knowing that when it comes to addiction there are no absolutes – only strength to resist. Martin smiled at the room and finished, "But today is a good day. Thanks."_

_There was another round of applause as Martin returned to his seat. As he sat down, he and Danny exchanged a look, each knowing how sacred the things said at these meetings were. _

_Travis returned to the front of the room. "I'd like to thank you all for coming tonight." He held up a small basket. "Now we have some chips up here. Who has been sober for the last…?" _

_After chips were handed out, the meeting broke up and some members hung back to drink coffee and talk. Normally, Danny and Martin would linger as well but tonight they had plans that couldn't wait. _

_Stepping out into the cool spring evening, the two men headed down the street towards the restaurant. _

_They walked in silence for a bit before Danny cleared his throat and said, "Good meeting tonight." _

"_Yeah," Martin replied with a small nod. _

_They slowed to a stop as the crossing signal changed. With his eyes on the flashing red hand, Danny said, "So, has Claire found a place yet?" _

_Martin shrugged, non-committal. "No, not yet." _

_As the crossing signal switched to 'walk,' they started across the street. Carefully avoiding a teenage girl focused more on texting on her cell phone than paying attention to where she was walking, Danny glanced at Martin and said, "You don't seem like you're in any hurry to have her move out."_

_Claire had moved in with Martin 'temporarily' until she could find a place of her own. When she'd gone undercover, she sublet her apartment and put all her stuff in storage. Now that she was back, she was going to have the couple she rented to move out but found out they were expecting triplets and just didn't have the heart to do so. So while she was hunting for a new place to live, Martin offered her his place. _

_With a wry grin, Martin shrugged again. "Not really." Not willing to meet Danny's eyes, Martin stared straight ahead and said, "I like having her around." _

_Turning the corner, they neared the restaurant and Danny replied, "It is pretty nice, isn't it?" _

_Martin didn't reply, he just smiled a little wider and kept walking._

_Danny had to admit that he wasn't so much talking about Martin and Claire as himself and Elena. He liked waking up with her every morning, each getting ready for work, talking with Sofie over breakfast and dinner, and then just being with Elena every night. On those rare nights when he went to bed before she did, he found it harder to get to sleep without her body lying there next to his. _

"_Looks pretty busy tonight," Martin commented, his gaze set straight ahead. _

_Looking over, Danny saw a small crowd of people standing outside the entrance to Il Cantinori. It did look pretty busy for a Wednesday night. Walking over, they deftly moved around the crowd of patrons still waiting to be seated and entered the restaurant in search of their dates. The din of the restaurant was loud with the sounds of people talking and laughing, servers reciting the specials of the day, and the clamor of glasses and dishes clinking. _

_Craning his head around a large ficus tree, Danny spotted Elena and Claire sitting at a table in the center of the dining room. He nudged Martin with his elbow to get his attention and then jerked his chin in the direction of the two women who were engrossed in conversation. As they maneuvered through the tables, Danny couldn't help but feel like one of the luckiest men in the room that the beautiful woman with dark brown hair and a breathtaking smile was his and his alone. _

_And better yet, he was hers. _

"_Hey," he greeted as he reached their table. Elena smiled up at him as he kissed her. He pulled back and sat down next to her, catching the tail end of Martin and Claire's similar greeting. _

"_Meeting okay?" Claire quietly asked, studying Martin's face. _

_Martin nodded and sat down when a short young man dressed in the standard server attire of black pants, white long sleeved button up shirt accentuated with a garish tie appeared at their table. He had long black hair tied back into a ponytail and was entirely too cheery for a server working the dinner rush. _

"_Good evening, sirs. I'm Vince and I will be your server," he greeted them. "Can I get you something to drink," he motioned to Claire and Elena's wine glasses filled with what Danny guessed was a merlot or cabernet, "or will you also be having some wine?"_

_Danny shook his head. "I'll have club soda with lime." _

"_Scotch neat," Martin replied__. _

_Vince nodded before smiling directly at Claire. In a lame Italian accent, he asked, "Gradirebbero un'altra bottiglia di vino?" _

_Shaking her head, Claire said, "No, penso che siamo a posto cosi' ma potrebbe controllare il nostro antipasto?"_

_Vince nodded. "Certo."_

_"Grazie," Claire replied with a grateful smile. Unlike Vince's accent, Claire's accent sounded authentic. It seems as easy as it was for her to pretend to be Croatian, she could probably pull off Italian just as well._

"_I recognized 'antipasto'," Martin said, eyeing the waiter as he walked away. _

"_Of course you do," Claire teased, reaching over and gently caressing his cheek. "Don't worry, I only asked him to check up on our appetizer." She winked at him. "I didn't ask him to run away to Florence with me."_

_Martin's face perked up. "Oh, did you order the calamari?"_

_Grinning, she looked over at Elena and said, "What did I tell you? It always comes down to food with this one." Martin reached up and grabbed Claire's hand, kissing her palm. _

_Laughing, Danny picked up his menu. Scanning it, he asked, "Since when do the waiters here speak Italian?"_

"_Vince is a student at Columbia and he's going to do a summer exchange in Italy," Elena explained, picking up her wine glass. "So Claire here volunteered to help him practice speaking."_

"_Vince?" Danny repeated. "You seem to know a lot about our waiter." He narrowed his eyes at Elena and playfully asked, "Was Vince flirting with you?"_

_Amused, Elena smiled at him. "Don't worry, we told him we were waiting for our novios."_

"_Yeah, well, I'm still keeping an eye on him," Martin darkly teased. _

"_Oh, you're so cute when you're jealous." She chuckled softly and leaned over, quickly kissing Martin__. _

_Vince returned to their table to deposit their drinks and appetizer. After listing the specials, they placed their orders. Once Vince took their menus and disappeared, Danny pumped his straw a few times in his glass and looked over at Claire. _

"_So, exactly how many languages do you speak?" he asked, lifting his glass and taking a drink. _

"_Eight," she replied, taking a sip of her wine. Her response wasn't boastful, just matter-of-fact. This was something Danny liked about Claire, she was so laidback and comfortable in who she was that she didn't have to try and impress anyone. She just did. _

_Danny held up his hand and started ticking off. "Okay, so I know there's Croatian, Spanish, and now Italian." He wiggled three fingers. "What else?"_

_Almost blushing, Claire added, "Russian, French, German, and Mandarin."_

_Danny raised a finger for each language she listed. "That's only seven." He frowned. "What's the last one?"_

_Martin chuckled, taking a sip of his Scotch. "Isn't it obvious?"_

_Danny furrowed his brow genuinely perplexed. They all just stared back at him in disbelief and unanimously said, "English."_

_As the table burst into laughter, Danny cringed and lowered his head embarrassed before looking up and joining in on the humor. _

_Once the laughter quieted, he shook his head and looked across the table at Claire. "Now I seriously don't get it."_

"_Get what?" Claire asked, puzzled. _

_Picking up his club soda, he asked, "How you can possibly be happy working wire taps?"_

_After the dust settled with Risto and Ivo, she took six weeks off to ease back into her life. She settled into Martin's apartment while helping with his convalescence as well as fielding job offers from all branches of law enforcement. With her skills and background, she was in high demand. So when she accepted a position in wire taps, it took everyone by surprise. _

_Smiling over at him, she replied, "What do you mean? It's great. I love it."_

_Setting his glass down, he stared back at her in disbelief. "You're lying."_

"_Excuse me?" she laughingly asked._

"_Danny," Elena gently warned, reaching over and caressing his forearm. _

"_Come on," he teased Claire, gently placing his hand on Elena's to reassure her. "You have to be full of it." His eyes darted around the table, looking for Elena or Martin to back him up but they just leaned back, leaving the conversation to him and Claire. "First of all, no one likes working wire taps. No one. It's just the job they do to kill time until they can get a job in the field. Second, you're way overqualified. You have to be wanting to do real work again."_

_Smiling, Claire replied, "I'm not lying." She picked up her wine glass and took a sip. Lowering it, she explained, "After almost fours years of pretending to be someone twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, I like working a nine to five shift where all I have to do is translate surveillance audio and video and then just going home."_

"_Don't you get bored?" Danny asked, still not believing it because he knew he'd be bored out of his mind._

"_Nope. I think living my daily life as Claire Roberts isn't boring at all," she adamantly replied, shooting a beatific grin at Martin. "In fact, I think it's pretty terrific."_

**~*~**

There was a knock on the door, pulling Danny from his thoughts.

He and Martin both turned in time to see Jack enter. His eyes darting between the two men, Jack said, "The wedding is about to start so they told me to come fetch the groom and best man."

Danny ran his hands over his jacket, smoothing out any wrinkles before nodding and sharing a look with Martin. "I'm ready if you're ready."

Grinning, Martin tugged on the ends of his bow tie and replied, "Let's do this."

**End Epilogue  
End **_**A Treasonous Heart**_

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**The most important thing must be addressed first: Huge thanks to Anmodo for all her hard work on this fic. If you could only see how invaluable her contributions, guidance and support were in this story you would know that she truly deserves the highest praise. I cannot thank her enough for agreeing to undertake this journey with me. Thank you, thank you, thank you and thank you. You are truly awesome and it was the highest honor that you agreed to help me.**

**As for the ending of this story, if you are perplexed or confused wondering if it was Martin or Danny getting married then my intended effect worked. It was not designed to be cruel or keep you guessing but rather to let you, the readers, create the ending you wanted. I thought by keeping it an open ending, it would give me more to work with in case I decide to write a sequel. I'm not saying there will be one but some ideas are knocking around my head… LOL.**

**Finally, thank each and every one of you who took a chance and read this fic and double thanks to those of you who were kind enough to review. I could tell that I frustrated you at times so I appreciate you trusting me enough to keep reading. I hope that in the end you enjoyed it.**

**Thank you very, very much.**

**ETA: HUGE thanks to LoveWinter for helping correct my Italian phrasing. It was very kind and generous of her to send me a PM with the correct phrasing. Thank you!**


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